GIFT   OF 


of       a;' 


GEORGE  F.  HOAR 

(Late  a  Senator  from  Manachuietta) 


Memorial  Addresses  Delivered  in  the 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 


Third  Session  of  the 
Fifty-eighth  Congress 


Compiled  under  the  direction  of  the  Joint  Committee  on  Printing 


WASHINGTON :  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE :  1905 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Page 

Proceedings  in  the  Senate 5 

Prayer  by  Rev.  Kdward  Kverett  Hale 5 

Prayer  by  Rev.  Kdward  Kverett  Hale 9 

Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts 12 

Address  of  Mr.  Allison,  of  Iowa 42 

Address  Of  Mr.  Cockrell,  of  Missouri 48 

Address  of  Mr.  Platt,  of  Connecticut 53 

Address  of  Mr.  Teller,  of  Colorado 59 

Address  of  Mr.  Culloin,  of  Illinois 65 

Address  of  Mr.  Daniel,  of  Virginia 71 

Address  of  Mr.  Gallinger,  of  New  Hampshire 79 

Address  of  Mr.  Bacon,  of  ( Georgia 84 

Address  of  Mr.  Perkins,  of  California 89 

Address  of  Mr.  Fairbanks,  of  Indiana 96 

Address  of  Mr.  Pet t us,  of  Alabama 102 

Address  of  Mr.  Gorman,  of  Maryland 105 

Address  of  Mr.  Depew,  of  New  York 108 

Address  of  Mr.  McComas,  of  Maryland V. 117 

Address  of  Mr.  Crane,  of  Massachusetts 123 

Proceedings  in  the  House 127 

Prayer  by  Rev.  Henry  N.  Couden 129 

Address  of  Mr.  Lovering,  of  Massachusetts 131 

Address  of  Mr.  Gillett,  of  Massachusetts 136 

Address  of  Mr.  Lawrence,  of  Massachusetts 140 

Address  of  Mr.  Thayer,  of  Massachusetts 145 

Address  of  Mr.  Sullivan,  of  Massachusetts 151 

Address  of  Mr.  Greene,  of  Massachuseetts 154 

Address  of  Mr.  Tirrell,  of  Massachusetts 162 

Address  of  Mr.  Clark,  of  Missouri 169 

Address  of  Mr.  Dnscoll,  of  New  York 180 

Address  of  Mr.  Powers,  of  Massachusetts 185 

Address  of  Mr.  Keliher,  of  Massachusetts 189 


327861 


DEATH  OF  SENATOR  GEORGE  F.  HOAR 
PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  SENATE 

DECEMBER  5,  1904. 
PRAYER. 

The  Chaplain,  Rev.  Kdward  Everett  Hale,  offered  the  fol 
lowing  prayer: 

Thou  shall  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all  thy 
strength.  This  is  the  first  and  greatest  commandment,  and 
the  second  is  like  unto  it,  namely,  this:  Thou  shall  love  thy 
neighl>or  as  thyself. 

Let  us  pray.  Father,  we  thank  Thee  for  so  much.  \Ye 
thank  Thee  for  life  and  health  and  strength,  and  that  we  are 
here  together  now,  and,  best  of  all,  thai  Thou  art  with  us  to 
give  us  new  life,  to  give  us  new  health,  to  give  us  new  strength, 
to  guide  us  and  help  us  wherever  we  go  and  wherever  we  are. 

Make  this  Thine  own  home,  that  we  may  find  Thee  always 
when  we  need  Thy  help,  as  always  we  do  need  it;  that  wherever 
we  go  we  may  go  as  the  children  of  I  he  living  God,  ready  lo  do 
Thy  work,  that  we  may  live  to  Thy  glory. 

Father,  Thou  hast  given  Thy  servants  here  so  much  to  do. 
They  have  lo  spend  Ihese  months  in  caring  for  the  coming  of 
Thy  kingdom,  and  for  nothing  less — that  the  nations  of  the 
world  may  be  one;  lhal  Ihe  Slales  may  bear  each  olhers'  bur 
dens,  each  as  Ihe  others'  brethren;  that  for  all  sorts  and 

5 


6  Proceedings  in  the  Senate 

conditions  of  men  Thou  shalt  make  Thy  gospel  known,  each 
for  all  and  all  for  each,  for  all  races  and  all  sects  and  creeds 
and  communions,  that  all  may  join  in  the  common  service,  as 
children  working  with  their  Father.  Thou  art  with  us;  hear 
us  and  answer  us. 

And  we  remember,  Father,  those  whose  faces  we  shall  not 
see  here  ever  again — Thy  servants  whom  Thou  hast  lifted  to 
higher  service.  They  pray  while  we  pray;  the}'  hope  as  we 
hope.  Bind  us  together,  those  whom  we  see  and  those  whom 
we  do  not  see,  in  the  great  brotherhood  of  the  children  of  the 
living  God.  We  ask  it  and  offer  it  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Join  me  in  the  Lord's  prayer. 

Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  Thy  name.  Thy 
kingdom  come,  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in 
heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread,  and  forgive  us  our 
trespasses  as  we  forgive  those  who  trespass  against  us.  And 
lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil,  for  Thine 
is  the  kingdom  and  the  power  and  the  glory,  forever.  Amen. 

DEATHS  OF  SENATOR  QUAY  AND  SENATOR  HOAR. 

Mr.  PENROSE.  Mr.  President,  it  is  my  sad  duty  to  announce 
to  the  Senate  the  death  of  my  late  colleague,  MATTHEW  STAN 
LEY  QUAY,  which  occurred  at  his  home  in  Beaver,  Pa.,  on  the 
28th  day  of  May  last. 

I  shall  not  at  this  moment  take  up  the  time  of  the  Senate 
with  anj-  extended  remarks  touching  his  personal  character 
and  his  public  services,  but  will  content  myself  with  simply 
submitting  the  following  resolutions,  asking  consideration  for 
them  after  similar  resolutions,  which  I  understand  the  Senator 
from  Massachusetts  desires  to  submit,  have  been  considered. 

At  some  more  appropriate  time  I  will  ask  the  Senate  to  sus 
pend  its  ordinary  business  in  order  that  fitting  tribute  may  be 
paid  to  the  memory  of  my  deceased  colleague. 


Proceedings  in  the  Senate  7 

The  PRESIDENT  pro  tempore.  The  Senator  from  Pennsyl 
vania  offers  resolutions  which  will  be  read. 

The  Secretary  read  the  resolutions,  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  Senate  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  and  deep 
regret  of  the  death  of  Hon.  MATTHKW  STANLEY  Qt'AY,  late  a  Senator 
from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 

Resolved^  That  the  Secretary  communicate  a  copy  of  these  resolutions 
to  the  House  of  Representatives. 

The  resolutions  were  considered  by  unanimous  consent,  and 
unanimously  agreed  to. 

Mr.  LODGE.  Mr.  President,  it  is  my  painful  duty  to  make 
formal  announcement  to  the  Senate  that  the  senior  Senator  from 
Massachusetts,  Hon.  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR,  died  at  his  home 
in  Worcester  on  the  3oth  of  September  last. 

At  some  future  time  I  shall  ask  the  Senate  to  set  apart  a  da}' 
fittingly  to  commemorate  his  high  character,  his  distinguished 
career,  and  his  eminent  services. 

At  this  time  I  offer  the  following  resolutions,  and  ask  for 
their  adoption. 

The  PRESIDENT  pro  tempore.     The  resolutions  will  be  read. 

The  Secretary  read  the  resolutions,  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  Senate  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of  the  death 
of  the  Hon.  GEORGE  F.  HOAR,  late  a  Senator  from  the  State  of  Massa 
chusetts. 

Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  communicate  a  copy  of  these  resolutions 
to  the  House  of  Representatives. 

The  resolutions  were  considered  by  unanimous  consent,  and 
unanimously  agreed  to. 

Mr.  LODGE.  Mr.  President,  in  behalf  of  the  Senator  from 
Pennsylvania  and  myself  I  now  offer  the  following  resolution, 
and  ask  for  its  immediate  consideration. 

The  PRESIDENT  pro  tempore.     The  resolution  will  be  read. 

The  resolution  was  read,  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That,  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  two 
Senators  whose  deaths  have  just  been  announced,  the  Senate  do  now 
adjourn. 


8  Proceedings  in  tlie  Senate 

The  resolution  was  considered  by  unanimous  consent,  and 
unanimously  agreed  to. 

The  Senate  accordingly  (at  12  o'clock  and  12  minutes  p.  m.) 
adjourned  until  to-morrow,  Tuesday,  December  6,  1904,  at  12 
o'clock  meridian. 

JANUARY  9,  1905. 

MEMORIAL  ADDRESSES  ON  THE  LATE  SENATOR  HOAR. 

Mr.  LODGE.  Mr.  President,  I  desire  to  give  notice  that  on 
January  28,  immediately  after  the  routine  morning  business,  I 
shall  ask  the  Senate  to  consider  resolutions  in  commemoration 
of  the  life,  character,  and  public  services  of  my  late  colleague, 
Hon.  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR. 


MEMORIAL  ADDRESSES 

SATURDAY,  January  28,  1905. 

Rev.  Edward  K.  Hale,  the  Chaplain  of  the  Senate,  offered 
the  following  prayer: 

Let  us  now  praise  famous  men.  The  Lord  hath  wrought  great  glory  by 
them,  through  His  great  jxjvver  from  the  beginning. 

Men  renoweil  for  their  power,  giving  counsel  by  their  understanding, 
leaders  of  the  people  by  their  counsel  and  by  their  knowledge  of  learning 
meet  for  the  people — wise  and  eloquent  in  their  instructions. 

All  these  were  honored  in  their  generations  and  were  the  glory  of  their 
times.  The  people  will  tell  of  their  wisdom  and  the  congregation  will 
show  forth  their  praise. 

Father,  we  ask  Thee  to  keep  green  and  fresh  the  memories 
of  such  fathers  in  the  past,  of  those  whom  we  have  seen  with 
our  eyes  and  have  heard  with  our  ears,  that  in  all  coming  time 
such  mens'  lives  may  live  among  the  children  and  the  children's 
children. 

Teach  us  to-day,  teach  all  this  people,  that  Thou  art  pleased 
to  do  Thy  work  by  the  agency  of  Thy  children  who  enter  into 
Thy  service  and  go  about  a  Father's  business.  Show  us  how 
they  can  be  strong  with  Thy  strength,  wise  in  Thy  wisdom, 
and  interpret  Thy  law. 

Keep  green  and  fresh  for  us  the  memory  of  him  whom  we  do 
not  see  here,  but  whom  we  loved  to  see;  whom  we  do  not  hear, 
but  whom  we  rememljer,  that  this  Senate,  that  the  people  of 
this  country,  may  l>e  loyal  as  he  to  friends,  to  Senate,  to 
country,  and  to  the  world.  It  is  not  in  vain  for  us  that  Thou 
hast  sent  forth  such  children  to  interpret  Thy  purpose  and  to 
carry  out  Thy  law. 

First  and  last  and  always  show  us  that  Thy  law  may  be  our 
law,  that  Thy  kingdom  may  come,  and  that  we  are  to  enter 

9 


io  Memorial  Addresses 

into  Thy  service,  that  it  may  come  the  sooner.     We  ask  it  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  Thy  name.  Thy 
kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth,  as  it  is  done  in 
heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us 
our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  those  who  trespass  against  us. 
And  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil;  for 
Thine  is  the  kingdom  and  the  power  and  the  glory,  forever. 
Amen. 


Memorial  Addresses  n 


MEMORIAL    ADDRESSES    ON    THE    LATE    SENATOR    HOAR. 

Mr.  LODGE.  Mr.  President,  before  sending  the  resolutions 
to  the  desk  I  wish  to  state,  as  I  have  been  asked  to  do,  that 
the  Senator  from  Wisconsin  [Mr.  Spooner] ,  who  was  very 
anxious  to  be  here  to-day  and  to  speak  to  the  resolutions,  and 
whose  long  friendship  with  Mr.  HOAR  is  well  known  to  the 
Senate,  is  unfortunately  prevented  suddenly  by  illness  from 
coming;  he  is  unable  to  leave  his  house.  I  now  send  tile- 
resolutions  to  the  desk. 

The  PRESIDENT  pro  tempore.  The  Senator  from  Massachu 
setts  submits  resolutions,  which  will  be  read. 

The  Secretary  read  the  resolutions,  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  Senate  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of  the 
death  of  Hon.  GEORGE  F.  HOAR,  late  a  Senator  from  the  State  of  Mas 
sachusetts. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased 
the  business  of  the  Senate  be  now  suspended,  to  enable  his  associates 
to  pay  proper  tribute  to  his  high  character  and  distinguished  public 
sen-ices. 

Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  communicate  these  resolutions  to  the 
House  of  Representatives. 

The  PRESIDENT  pro  tempore.  Will  the  Senate  agree  to  the 
resolutions? 

The  resolutions  were  unanimously  agreed  to. 


12  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  LODGE,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  Duty  and  desire  alike  command  that  I 
should  speak  of  Mr.  HOAR,  to  whose  memory  we  consecrate 
this  day,  as  a  distinguished  statesman,  an  historic  figure,  and  a 
representative  man  of  a  remarkable  and  an  eventful  time.  But 
for  me  to  speak  in  this  place  in  such  fashion  is  most  difficult. 
Curae  leves  loquuntur;  ingentes  stupent. 

I  trust  that  the  Senate,  remembering  this,  will  accord  to  my 
shortcomings  the  indulgence  which  I  am  only  too  well  a\vare  I 
shall  greatly  need. 

Men  distinguished  above  their  fellows,  who  have  won  a 
place  in  history,  may  be  of  interest  and  importance  to  pos 
terity  as  individuals  or  as  representatives  of  their  time,  or  in 
both  capacities.  Hobbes  and  Descartes,  for  instance,  are 
chiefly  if  not  wholly  interesting  for  what  they  themselves 
were  and  for  their  contributions  to  human  thought  which 
might  conceivably  have  been  made  at  any  epoch.  On  the 
other  hand,  Pepys  and  St.  Simon,  substantially  contemporary 
with  the  two  philosophers,  are  primarily  of  interest  and  im 
portance  as  representative  men,  embodiments  and  exponents 
of  the  life  and  thought  of  their  time.  Benjamin  Franklin, 
to  take  a  later  example,  was  not  only  deeply  interesting  as 
an  individual,  but  he  seemed  to  embody  in  himself  the  ten 
dencies  of  thought  and  the  entire  meaning  and  attitude  of 
the  eighteenth  century  in  its  broadest  significance.  Mr. 
HOAR  belongs  to  the  class  which  is  illustrated  in  such  a  high 
degree  by  Franklin,  for  he  has  won  and  will  hold  his  place 
in  history  not  only  by  what  he  was  and  what  he  did,  but 


Address  of  Mr,  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  1 3 

because  he  was  a  very  representative  man  in  a  period  fruitful 
in  great  events  and  conspicuous  for  the  consolidation  of  the 
United  States — the  greatest  single  fact  of  the  last  century, 
measured  by  its  political  and  economic  effect  upon  the  for 
tunes  of  mankind  and  upon  the  history  of  the  world. 

To  appreciate  properly  and  understand  intelligently  any 
man  who  has  made  substantial  achievement  in  art  or  letters, 
in  philosophy  or  science,  in  war  or  politics,  and  who  has 
also  lived  to  the  full  the  life  of  his  time,  we  must  turn  first 
to  those  conditions  over  which  he  himself  had  no  control. 
In  his  inheritances,  in  the  time  and  place  of  birth,  in  the 
influences  and  the  atmosphere  of  childhood  and  youth  we 
can  often  find  the  key  to  the  mystery  which  every  human 
existence  presents  and  obtain  a  larger  explanation  of  the 
meaning  of  the  character  and  career  before  us  than  the  man's 
own  life  and  deeds  will  disclose. 

This  is  especially  true  of  Mr.  HOAR,  for  his  race  and 
descent,  his  time  and  place  of  birth  are  full  of  significance 
if  we  would  rightly  understand  one  who  was  at  once  a 
remarkable  and  a  highly  representative  man.  He  came  of  a 
purely  English  stock.  His  family  in  England  were  people -of 
consideration  and  substance,  possessing  both  education  and 
established  position  before  America  was  discovered.  Belong 
ing  in  the  seventeenth  century  to  that  class  of  prosperous 
merchants  and  tradesmen,  of  country  gentlemen  and  farmers 
which  gave  to  England  Cromwell  and  Hampden,  Eliot  and 
Pym,  they  were  Puritans  in  religion  and  in  politics  support 
ers  of  the  Parliament  and  opponents  of  the  King.  Charles 
Hoar,  sheriff  of  Gloucester  and  enrolled  in  the  recorcl  of  the 
city  government  as  "  Generosus "  or  "gentleman,"  died  in 
1638.  Two  years  later  his  widow,  Joanna  Hoar,  with  five  of 
her  children,  emigrated  to  New  England.  One  of  the  sons, 


14  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Leonard  Hoar,  chosen  by  his  father  to  go  to  Oxford  and 
become  a  minister,  entered  Harvard  College,  then  just  founded, 
and  graduated  there  in  1650.  He  soon  after  returned  to 
England,  where  he  was  presented  to  a  living  under  the  Pro 
tectorate.  He  married  Bridget,  the  daughter  of  John  Lisle, 
commonly  called  Lord  Lisle,  one  of  the  regicides  assassinated 
later  at  Lausanne,  where  he  had  taken  refuge,  by  royal 
emissaries  after  the  King  had  come  to  his  own  again.  John 
Lisle's  wife,  the  Lady  Alicia,  died  on  the  scaffold  in  1685, 
the  most  famous  and  pathetic  victim  in  the  tragedy  of  Jef- 
freys's  "Bloody  Assize."  Her  son-in-law,  Leonard  Hoar, 
ejected  from  his  living  under  the  Act  of  Uniformity,  studied 
medicine,  and  returning  to  New  England  ten  years  later 
became  in  1672  president  of  Harvard  College,  and  died  in 


Senator  HOAR  was  descended  from  an  elder  brother  of  the 
president  of  Harvard,  John  Hoar,  evidently  a  man  of  as  strong 
character  and  marked  abilities  as  the  rest  of  his  family.  The 
old  records  contain  more  than  one  account  of  his  clashings 
with  the  intolerant  and  vigorous  theocracy  which  governed 
Massachusetts,  and  of  the  fines  and  imprisonments  which  he 
endured;  but  he  never  seems  either  to  have  lost  the  respect 
of  the  community  or  to  have  checked  his  speech.  We  get  a 
bright  glimpse  of  him  in  1690,  when  Sewall  says,  in  his  diary 
on  November  8  of  that  year: 

Jno.  Hoar  comes  into  the  lobby  and  sais  he  conies  from  the  Lord,  by 
the  Lord,  to  speak  for  the  Lord;  complains  that  sins  as  bad  as  Sodom's 
found  here. 

In  every  generation  following  we  find  men  of  the  same 
marked  character  who  were  graduates  of  Harvard,  active  citi 
zens,  successful  in  their  callings,  taking  a  full  share  of  public 
duties  and  in  the  life  of  their  times.  Senator  HOAR'S  great 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  1 5 

grandfather,  who  had  served  in  the  old  French  war,  and  his 
grandfather  were  both  in  the  fight  at  Concord  Bridge.  His 
father,  vSamuel  Hoar,  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  law 
yers  in  Massachusetts.  He  served  in  both  branches  of  the 
State  legislature,  and  was  a  Mem1:>er  of  Congress.  Honored 
throughout  the  vState,  his  most  conspicuous  action  was  his 
journey  to  Charleston,  to  defend  certain  negro  sailors,  and  from 
that  city,  where  his  life  was  in  danger,  he  was  expelled  because 
he  desired  to  give  his  legal  services  to  protect  men  of  another 
and  an  enslaved  race. 

On  his  mother's  side  Senator  HOAR  was  a  descendant  of  the 
John  Sherman  who  landed  in  Massachusetts  in  1630  and  be 
came  the  progenitor  of  a  family  which  has  been  extraordinarily 
prolific  in  men  of  high  ability  and  distinction.  In  the  century 
just  closed  this  family  gave  to  the  country  and  to  history 
one  of  our  most  brilliant  soldiers,  one  of  our  most  eminent 
statesmen  and  financiers,  and  through  the  female  line  the 
great  lawyer  and  orator,  Mr.  Evarts,  and  E.  Rockwood  Hoar, 
distinguished  alike  as  judge,  as  Member  of  Congress,  and  as 
Attorney-General  of  the  United  States.  In  the  eighteenth 
century  we  owe  to  the  same  blood  and  name  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  of  the  great  men  who  made  the  Revolution 
and  founded  the  United  States,  Roger  Sherman,  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  signer  of  the  articles  of  Confed 
eration,  signer  of  the  Constitution,  first  Senator  from  Con 
necticut,  and  grandfather  of  Mr.  HOAR,  as  he  was  also  of  Mr. 
Evarts.  I  have  touched  upon  this  genealogy  more,  perhaps, 
than  is  usual  upon  such  occasions,  not  only  because  it  is 
remarkable,  but  because.it  seems  to  me  full  of  light  and  mean 
ing  in  connection  with  those  who,  in  the  years  just  past,  had 
the  right  to  claim  it  for  their  own.  \Ve  see  these  people, 
when  American  history  begins,  identified  with  the  cause  of 


1 6  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

constitutional  freedom  and  engaged  in  resistance  to  what  they 
deemed  tyranny  in  church  and  state.  They  became  exiles  for 
their  faith,  and  the  blood  of  the  victims  of  Stuart  revenge  is 
sprinkled  on  their  garments.  They  venture  their  lives  again 
at  the  outbreak  of  our  own  Revolution.  They  take  a  con 
tinuous  .part  in  public  affairs.  They  feel  it  to  be  their  busi- 
j  ness  to  help  the  desolate  and  oppressed,  from  John  Hoar 
sheltering  and  succoring  the  Christian  Indians,  in  the  dark 
and  bloody  days  of  King  Philip's  war,  to  Samuel  Hoar,  going 
forth  into  the  midst  of  a  bitterly  hostile  community  to  defend 
the  helpless  negroes.  The  tradition  of  sound  learning,  the 
profound  belief  in  the  highest  education,  illustrated  by  Leonard 
Hoar  in  the  seventeenth  century,  are  never  lost  or  weakened 
in  the  succeeding  generations.  Through  all  their  history  runs  1 
unchanged  the  deep  sense  of  public  responsibility,  of  patriotism ,- 
and  of  devotion  to  high  ideals  of  conduct.  The  stage  upon 
which  they  played  their  several  parts  might  be  large  or  small, 
but  the  light  which  guided  them  was  always  the  same.  They 
were  Puritans  of  the  Puritans.  As  the  centuries  passed,  the 
Puritan  was  modified  in  many  ways,  but  the  elemental  quali 
ties  of  the  powerful  men  who  had  crushed  crown  and  miter 
in  a  common  ruin,  altered  the  course  of  English  history,  and 
founded  a  new  state  in  a  new  world,  remained  unchanged. 

So  patented  and  so  descended,  Mr.  HOAR  inherited  certain 
deep-rooted  conceptions  of  duty,  of  character,  and  of  the  con 
duct  of  life,  which  were  as  much  a  part  of  his  being  as  the  color 
of  his  eyes  or  the  shape  of  his  hand.  Where  and  when  was  he 
born  to  this  noble  heritage?  We  must  ask  and  answer  this 
question,  for  there  is  a  world  of  suggestion  in  the  place  and 
time  of  a  man's  birth  when  that  man  has  come  to  have  a  mean 
ing  and  an  importance  to  his  own  generation  as  well  as  to  those 
which  succeed  it  in  the  slow  procession  of  the  years. 


Address  of  Mr,  Lodgi\  of  Massachusetts  1 7 

Concord,  proclaimed  by  Webster  as  one  of  the  glories  of 
Massachusetts  which  no  untoward  fate  could  wrest  from  her, 
was  the  place  of  his  birth.  About  the  quiet  village  were 
gathered  all  the  austere  traditions  of  the  colonial  time.  It 
had  witnessed  the  hardships  of  the  early  settlers,  it  had 
shared  and  shuddered  in  the  horrors  of  Indian  wars,  it  had 
seen  the  slow  and  patient  conquest  of  the  wilderness.  There 
within  its  Ixmndaries  had  blazed  high  a  great  event,  catching 
the  eyes  of  a  careless  world  which  little  dreamed  how  far 
the  fire  then  lighted  would  spread.  Along  its  main  road, 
overarched  by  elms,  the  soldiers  of  England  marched  that 
pleasant  April  morning.  There  is  the  bridge  where  the  farmers 
returned  the  British  fire  and  advanced.  There  is  the  tomb  of 
the  two  British  soldiers  who  fell  in  the  skirmish,  and  whose 
grave  marks  the  spot  where  the  power  of  England  on  the 
North  American  Continent  first  began  to  ebb.  Truly  there 
is  no  need  of  shafts  of  stone  or  statues  of  bron/.e,  for  the 
whole  place  is  a  monument  to  the  deeds  which  there  were 
done.  The  very  atmosphere  is  redolent  of  great  memories; 
the  gentle  ripple  of  the  placid  river,  the  low  voice  of  the  wind 
among  the  trees,  all  murmur  the  story  of  patriotism  and 
teach  devotion  to  the  nation,  which,  from  "the  bridge  that 
arched  the  flood,"  set  forth  upon  its  onward  march. 

And  then  just  as  Mr.  HOAR  began  to  know  his  birthplace 
the  town  entered  upon  a  new  phase  which  was  to  give  it  a 
place  in  literature  and  in  the  development  of  imxlern  thought 
as  eminent  as  that  which  it  had  already  gained  in  the  history 
of  the  country.  Kmerson  made  Concord  his  home  in  1835, 
Hawthorne  came  there  to  live  seven  years  later,  and  Thoreau, 
a  native  of  the  town,  was  growing  to  manhood  in  those  same 
years.  To  Mr.  HOAR'S  inheritance  of  public  service,  of  devo 
tion  to  duty,  and  of  lofty  ideals  of  conduct,  to  the  family 
S.  Doc.  201,  58-3 2 


1 8  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

influences  which  surrounded  him  and  which  all  pointed  to  work 
and  achievement  as  the  purpose  and  rewards  of  life,  were 
added  those  of  the  place  where  he  lived,  the  famous  little 
town  which  drew  from  the  past  lessons  of  pride  and  love  of 
country,  and  offered  in  the  present  examples  of  lives  given  to 
literature  and  philosophy,  to  the  study  of  nature,  and  to  the 
hopes  and  destiny  of  man  here  and  hereafter. 

Thus  highly  gifted  in  his  ancestry,  in  his  family,  and  in  his 
traditions,  as  well  as  in  the  place  and  the  community  in  which 
he  was  to  pass  the  formative  years  of  boyhood  and  youth, 
Mr.  HOAR  was  equally  fortunate  in  the  time  of  his  birth, 
which  often  means  so  much  in  the  making  of  a  character  and 
career.  He  was  born  on  the  2gth  of  August,  1826.  Super 
ficially  it  was  one  of  the  most  uninteresting  periods  in  the 
history  of  western  civilization — dominated  in  Europe  by  small 
men,  mean  in  its  hopes,  low  in  its  ambitions.  But  beneath 
the  surface  vast  forces  were  germinating  and  gathering,  which 
in  their  development  were  to  affect  profoundly  both  Europe 
and  America. 

The  great  movement  which,  beginning  with  the  revolt  of  the 
American  colonies,  had  wrought  the  French  Revolution,  con 
vulsed  Europe,  and  made  Napoleon  possible,  had  spent  itself 
and  sunk  into  exhaustion  at  Waterloo.  The  reaction  reigned 
supreme.  It  \vas  the  age  of  the  Metternichs  and  Castlereaghs, 
of  the  Eldons  and  Ljverpools,  of  Spanish  and  Neapolitan  Bour 
bons.  With  a  stupidity  equaled  only  by  their  confidence  and 
insensibility,  these  men  and  others  like  them  sought  to  establish 
again  the  old  tyrannies  and  believed  that  they  could  restore 
a  dead  system  and  revive  a  vanished  society.  They  utterly 
failed  to  grasp  the  fact  that  \vhere  the  red-hot  plowshares  of 
the  French  Revolution  had  passed  the  old  crops  could  never 
flourish  again.  The  White  Terror  swept  over  France,  and  a 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  19 

little  later  the  Due  Decazes,  the  only  man  who  understood  the 
situation,  was  driven  from  power  because  he  tried  to  establish 
the  conditions  upon  which  alone  the  Bourbon  monarchy  could 
hope  to  survive.  The  Holy  Alliance  was  formed  to  uphold 
autocracy  and  crush  out  the  aspirations  of  any  people  who 
sought  to  obtain  the  simplest  rights  and  the  most  moderate 
freedom.  To  us  Webster's  denunciation  of  the  Holy  Alliance 
sounds  like  an  academic  exercise,  designed  simply  to  display 
the  orator's  power,  but  to  the  men  of  that  day  it  had  a  most 
real  and  immediate  meaning.  The  quiet  which  Russia  and 
Austria  called  peace  reigned  over  much  wider  regions  than 
Warsaw.  England  cringed  and  burned  incense  before  the 
l>ewigged  and  padded  effigy  known  as  "  George  the  Fourth." 
France  did  the  bidding  of  the  dullest  and  most  unforgetting  of 
the  Bourbons.  Anyone  who  ventured  to  criticise  any  existing 
arrangement  was  held  up  to  scorn  and  hatred  as  an  enemy  of 
society,  driven  into  exile  like  Byron  and  Shelley,  or  cast  into 
prison  like  Leigh  Hunt. 

But  the  great  forces  which  had  caused  both  the  American 
and  French  revolutions  were  not  dead.  They  were  only 
gathering  strength  for  a  renewed  movement,  and  the  first  voices 
of  authority  which  broke  the  deadly  quiet  came  from  Kngland 
and  the  United  States.  When  the  Holy  Alliance  stretched  out 
its  hand  to  thrust  back  the  Spanish  colonies  into  bondage 
Canning  declared  that  he  would  call  in  the  ' '  New  World  to 
redress  the  balance  of  the  Old,"  and  Monroe  announced  that  in 
that  New  World  there  should  be  no  further  European  coloni/a- 
tion  and  no  extension  of  the  monarchical  principle.  Greece 
rose  against  the  Turks,  and  lovers  of  liberty  everywhere  went 
to  her  aid,  for  even  the  Holy  Alliance  did  not  dare  to  make  the 
Sultan  a  partner  in  a  combination  which  professed  to  be  tlu 
defender  of  Christianity  as  well  as  of  desjxjtic  government. 


2O  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

When  Mr.  HOAR  was  born  the  Greek  revolution  was  afoot, 
the  first  stirrings  of  the  oppressed  and  divided  nationalities 
had  begun,  the  liberal  movement  was  again  lifting  its  head 
and  preparing  to  confront  the  entrenched,  uncompromising 
forces  of  the  reaction.  When  he  was  four  years  old  Concord 
heard  of  the  fighting  in  the  Paris  streets  during  the  three 
days  of  July,  and  of  the  fall  of  the  Bourbon  monarchy.  When 
he  was  six  years  old  the  passage  of  the  reform  bill  brought  to 
England  a  peaceful  revolution  instead  of  one  in  arms,  and 
crumbled  into  dust  the  system  of  Castlereagh  and  Liverpool 
and  Wellington. 

The  change  and  movement  thus  manifested  were  not  con 
fined  to  politics.  As  Mr.  HOAR  went  back  and  forth  to  school 
in  the  Concord  Academy  the  new  forces  were  spreading  into 
every  field  of  thought  and  action.  .Revolt  against  conventions 
in  art  and  literature  and  against  existing  arrangements  of 
society  was  as  ardent  as  that  against  political  oppression, 
while  creeds  and  dogmas  were  called  in  question  as  unspar 
ingly  as  the  right  of  the  few  to  govern  the  many.  In  Eng 
land  one  vested  abuse  after  another  was  swept  away  by  the 
Reform  Parliament.  It  was  discovered  that  Shelley  and 
Byron,  the  outlaws  of  twenty  years  before,  were  among  the 
greatest  of  England's  poets.  Dickens  startled  the  world  and 
won  thousands  of  readers  by  bringing  into  his  novels  whole 
classes  of  human  beings  unknown  to  polite  fiction  since  the 
days  of  Fielding,  and  by  plunging  into  the  streets  of  London 
to  find  among  the  poor,  the  downtrodden,  and  the  criminal 
characters  which  he  made  immortal.  Carlyle  was  crying  out 
against  venerated  shams  in  his  fierce  satire  on  the  Philosophy 
of  Clothes.  Macaulay  was  vindicating  the  men  of  the  great 
rebellion  to  a  generation  which  had  been  brought  up  to  be 
lieve  that  the  Puritans  were  little  better  than  cutthroats,  and 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  21 

Oliver  Cromwell  a*  common  military  usurper.  The  English 
establishment  was  shaken  by  the  Oxford  movement,  which 
carried  Newman  to  Rome,  drove  others  to  the  extreme  of 
skepticism,  and  breathed  life  into  the  torpid  church,  sending 
its  ministers  out  into  the  world  of  men  as  missionaries  and 
social  reformers. 

In  France,  after  the  days  of  July,  the  romantic  movement 
took  full  possession  of  literature,  and  the  Shakespeare  whom 
Voltaire  rejected  became  to  the  new  school  the  head  of  the 
corner.  The  sacred  Alexandrine  of  the  days  of  Louis  XIV 
gave  way  to  varied  measures  which  found  their  inspiration 
in  the  poets  of  the  Renaissance.  The  plays  of  Hugo  and 
Dumas  drove  the  classical  drama  from  the  stage;  the  verse 
of  De  Mussel,  the  marvelous  novels  of  Bal/.ac  were  making 
a  new  era  in  the  literature  of  France. 

Italy,  alive  with  conspiracies,  was  stirring  from  one  end  to 
the  other  with  aspirations  for  national  unity  and  with  resistance 
to  the  tyranny  of  Neapolitan  Bourbons  and  Austrian  Haps- 
burgs.  Hungary  was  moving  restlessly ;  Poland  was  strug 
gling  vainly  with  her  fetters.  Plans,  too,  for  social  regeneration 
were  filling  the  minds  of  men.  St.  Simon's  works  had  come 
into  fashion.  It  was  the  age  of  Fourier  and  Proudhon,  of 
Bentham  and  Comte. 

Such  were  the  voices  and  such  the  influences  which  then 
came  across  the  Atlantic,  very  powerful  and  very  impressive  to 
the  young  men  of  that  day,  especially  to  those  who  were  begin 
ning  to  reflect  highly  and  seriously  upon  the  meaning  of  life. 
And  all  about  them  in  America  the  same  portents  were  visible. 
Everything  was  questioned.  Men  dreamed  dreams  and  saw 
visions.  There  is  a  broad,  an  impassable  gulf  Ijetween  the  deep 
and  beautiful  thought,  the  mysticism  and  the  transcendentalism 
of  Emerson  and  the  wild  vagaries  of  Miller  and  the  Second 


22  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Adventists,  or  the  crude  vulgarity  of  Joseph  Smith,  yet  were 
they  all  manifestations  of  the  religious  cravings  which  had 
succeeded  the  frigid  skepticism  of  the  eighteenth  century  and 
the  dull  torpor  of  the  period  of  reaction.  So,  too,  Brook  Farm 
and  the  Oneida  Community  were  widely  different  attempts  to 
put  into  practice  some  of  the  schemes  of  social  regeneration 
then  swarming  in  the  imagination  of  men.  Literature  was 
uplifting  itself  to  successes  never  yet  reached  in  the  New  World. 
It  was  the  period  of  Poe  and  Hawthorne,  of  Longfellow  and 
Lowell,  of  Holmes  and  Whittier.  Bancroft  and  Prescott  were 
already  at  \vork ;  Motley  was  beginning  his  career  with 
romantic  novels.  And  then  behind  all  this  literature,  all  these 
social  experiments,  all  these  efforts  to  pierce  the  mystery  of 
man's  existence,  was  slowly  rising  the  agitation  against 
slavery,  a  dread  reality  destined  to  take  possession  of  the 
country's  history. 

These  influences,   these  voices  were  everywhere  when   Mr. 

HOAR,  a  vigorous,  clever,  thoughtful  boy  of  sixteen,  left  his 
ji — • 
•  school  at  Concord  and  entered  Harvard  College  in  1842.      Brook 

Farm  had  been  started  in  the  previous  year ;  the  next  was  to 
witness  Miller's  millennium  ;  he  \vas  halfway  through  college 
when  Joseph  Smith  was  killed  at  Nauvoo.  In  his  third  year 
the  long  battle  which  John  Quincy  Adams  had  waged  for  nearly 
a  decade  in  behalf  of  the  right  of  petition  and  against  the  slave 
power,  and  which  had  stirred  to  its  depths  the  conscience  of 
New  England,  culminated  in  the  old  man's  famous  victory  by 
the  repeal  of  the  ' '  gag  rule. ' ' 

As  Mr.  HOAR  drew  to  manhood  the  air  was  full  of  revolt  and 

questioning'!!!  thought,  in  literature,  in  religion,  in  society,  and 

\  in  politics.     The  dominant  note  was  faith  in  humanity  and  in 

sthe  perfectibility  of  man.     Break  up  impeding,  stifling  customs, 

strike  down  vested  abuses,  set  men  free  to  think,  to  write,  to 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  23 

work,  to  vote  as  they  chose  and  all  would  l>e  well.  To  Mr. 
HOAR,  with  his  strong  inheritances,  with  the  powerful  influ 
ences  of  his  family  and  home,  the  spirit  of  the  time  came  with 
an  irresistible  appeal.  It  was  impossible  to  him  to  be  deaf  to 
its  voice  or  to  shut  his  ears  to  the  poignant  cry  against  oppres 
sion  which  sounded  through  the  world  of  Europe  and  America 
with  a  fervor  and  pathos  felt  only  in  the  great  moments  of 
human  history.  But  he  was  the  child  of  the  Puritans.  Their 
elemental  qualities  were  in  his  blood,  and  the  Puritans  joined 
to  the  highest  idealism  the  practical  attributes  which  had  made 
them  in  the  days  of  their  glory  the  greatest  soldiers  and  states 
men  in  Europe.  Macaulay,  in  a  well-known  passage,  says  of 
Cromwell's  soldiers  that — 

They  moved  to  victory  with  the  precision  of  machines,  while  burning 
with  the  wildest  fanaticism  of  Crusaders. 

Mr.  HOAR,  by  nature,  by  inheritance,  by  every  influence  of 
time  and  place,  an  idealist,  had  also  the  strong  good  sense,  the 
practical  shrewdness,  and  the  reverence  for  law  and  precedent 
which  were  likewise  part  of  his  birthright.  He  passed  through 
college  with  distinction,  went  to  his  brother's  office  for  a  year, 
to  the  Harvard  Law  School,  and  thence,  in  1849,  to  Worcester, 
where  he  cast  in  his  fortune  with  the  young  and  growing  city 
which  ever  after  was  to  be  his  home.  But  his  personal  for 
tunes  did  not  absorb  him.  He  looked  out  on  the  world  about 
him  with  an  eager  gaze.  As  he  said  in  his  old  age, 
Bliss  was  it  in  that  dawn  to  l>e  alive. 

The  profound  conviction  that  every  man  had  a  public  duty 
was  strong  within  him.  The  spirit  of  the  time  was  on  him. 
He  would  fain  do  his  share.  When  the  liberal  movement  cul 
minated  in  Europe  in  1848  he  was  deeply  stirred.  When,  a 
little  later,  Kossuth  came  to  the  United  States  the  impression 


24  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

then  made  upon  him  by  the  cause  and  the  eloquence  of  the 
great  Hungarian  sank  into  his  heart  and  was  never  effaced. 
He,  too,  meant  to  do  his  part,  however  humble,  in  the  work  of 
his  time.  He  did  not  content  himself  with  barren  sympathy 
for  the  oppressed  beyond  the  seas,  nor  did  he  give  himself  to 
any  of  the  vague  schemes  then  prevalent  for  the  regeneration 
of  society.  He  turned  to  the  question  nearest  at  hand,  to  the 
work  of  redressing  what  he  believed  the  wrong  and  the  sin  of 
his  native  land — human  slavery.  He  did  not  join  the  aboli 
tionists,  but  set  himself  to  fight  slavery  in  the  effective  manner 
which  finally  brought  its  downfall — by  organized  political  effort 
within  the  precincts  of  the  Constitution  and  the  laws. 
-  AJ.r^HoAR  had  been  bred  a  Whig.  His  first  vote  in  1847  was 
for  a  Whig  governor,  and  Daniel  Webster  was  the  close  friend 
of  his  father  and  brother.  He  had  been  brought  up  on  Web 
ster's  reply  to  Hayne,  and  as  a  college  student  he  had  heard 
him  deliver  the  second  Bunker  Hill  oration.  In  that  day  the 
young  Whigs  of  Massachusetts  looked  to  Webster  with  an 
adoring  admiration.  They — 

Followed  him,  honored  him, 
Lived  in  his  mild  and  magnificent  eye, 
Learned  his  great  language,  caught  his  clear  accents, 
Made  him  their  pattern  to  live  and  to  die. 

But  the  great  command  of  conscience  to  Mr.  HOAR  was  to 
resist  slavery,  and  the  test  of  his  faith  was  at  hand.  He  was 
to  break  from  the  dominant  party  of  the  State.  Webster  was 
to  become  to  him  in  very  truth  ' '  The  Lost  L/eader. ' '  He  was  to 
join  with  those  who  called  the  great  Senator  "Ichabod,"  and 
not  until  he  himself  was  old  was  he  to  revert  to  his  young  ad 
miration  of  that  splendid  intellect  and  that  unrivaled  eloquence. 
But  when  the  ordeal  came  there  was  no  shrinking.  Charles 
Allen,  of  Worcester,  amid  derisive  shouts,  announced  at  Phila 
delphia,  after  the  nomination  of  General  Taylor,  that  the  Whig 


.•Ictdrcss  of  J/r.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  25 

party  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  HOAR  went  with  him.  After  the 
delegates  had  returned  to  Massachusetts  Mr.  HOAR  rendered 
his  first  political  service  by  addressing  and  mailing  a  circular 
drawn  by  his  elder  brother,  K.  Rock  wood  Hoar,  which  invited 
the  antislavery  Whigs  to  meet  at  Worcester  and  take  steps 
to  oppose  the  election  of  either  General  Taylor  or  of  General 
Cass,  the  Democratic  candidate.  The  convention  was  held 
in  Worcester  on  June  28,  became  the  Free  Soil  party,  and 
gave  their  support  to  Van  Huren.  The  result  of  the  move 
ment  nationally  was  to  defeat  the  Democrats  in  New  York,  as 
the  Liberty  party  had  turned  the  scales  against  Clay  four 
years  before.  In  Massachusetts  the  Worcester  convention 
marked  the  appearance  of  a  group  of  young  men  who  were 
to  form  a  new  school  of  statesmen,  and  who  were  destined 
to  control  Massachusetts  and  to  play  a  leading  part  in  guiding 
the  fortunes  of  the  nation  for  forty  years  to  come. 

The  Federalists,  who  had  formed  and  organized  the  Govern 
ment  of  the  United  States,  and  who  were  essentially  construct 
ive  statesmen  of  great  power,  had  followed  the  men  of  the 
Revolution,  and  in  turn  had  been  succeeded  by  the  Whigs. 
Under  the  lead  of  Webster  and  Choate,  of  Kverett  and  Win- 
throp,  and  others  hardly  less  distinguished,  the  Whigs  con 
trolled  Massachusetts  for  a  generation.  They  never  had  seemed 
stronger,  despite  Webster's  personal  discontent,  than  on  the  eve 
of  Taylor's  election.  But  it  was  to  be  their  last  triumph.  The 
men,  mostly  young,  who  gathered  at  Worcester  were  to  displace 
them  and  themselves  take  and  hold  power  for  nearly  forty  years. 
There  at  Worcester,  with  Samuel  Hoar,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
earlier  days,  presiding,  were  assembled  the  men  of  the  future. 
Charles  Sunnier,  Charles  Francis  Adams,  Henry  Wilson,  K.  R. 
Hoar,  Charles  Allen,  and  Richard  H.  Dana  spoke  to  the  conven 
tion,  while  Palfrey  the  historian,  John  A.  Andrew,  then  a  young, 


26  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

unknown  lawyer,  and  Anson  Burlingame,  although  not  present, 
joined  with  and  supported  them.  These  were  not  only  new7 
men,  but  they  represented  a  new  political  school.  The  Whigs, 
inheriting  the  Federalist  doctrines  of  liberal  construction,  were 
essentially  an  economic  party,  devoted  to  the  industrial  and 
material  development  of  the  country.  The  men  who  supplanted 
them  were  primarily  and  above  all  human-rights  statesmen,  as 
befitted  the  time.  To  them  the  rights  of  humanity  came  first 
and  all  economic  questions  second.  With  these  men  and  with 
this  school  Mr.  HOAR  united  himself  heart  and  soul,  swayed 
by  the  sternest  and  strongest  convictions,  for  which  no  sacri 
fice  was  too  great,  no  labors  too  hard.  He  was  perhaps  the 
youngest  of  the  men  destined  to  high  distinction  who  met 
in  Worcester  in  1848;  he  was  certainly  the  last  great  sur 
vivor  of  this  remarkable  group  in  the  largest  fields  of  national 
statesmanship. 

Thus  was  the  beginning  made.  The  next  step  was  an 
unexpected  one.  There  was  a  Free-Soil  meeting  in  Worcester 
in  1850.  Charles  Allen,  who  was  to  speak,  was  late,  and  a 
cry  went  up  from  the  impatient  audience  of  "Hoar!". 
"Hoar!"  Neither  father  nor  brother  was  present,  so  Mr. 
HOAR  took  the  platform,  and  speaking  from  the  fullness  of 
his  heart  and  with  the  fervor  of  his  cause,  won  a  success 
which  put  him  in  demand  for  meetings  throughout  the  county. 
The  following  year  he  was  made  chairman  of  the  Free-Soil 
count}"  committee,  proved  himself  a  most  efficient  organizer, 
and  carried  all  but  six  of  the  fifty-two  towns  in  the  county. 
Then,  greatly  to  his  surprise,  he  was  nominated  for  the  legis 
lature.  He  accepted,  was  elected,  became  the  leader  of  the 
Free  Soilers  in  the  house,  and  distinguished  himself  there  by 
his  advocacy  of  the  factory  acts  limiting  the  hours  of  labor, 
in  which  Massachusetts  was  the  pioneer.  He  retired  at  the 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  27 

end  of  the  year  for  which  he  had  been  chosen.  In  1857  he 
was  nominated,  again  unexpectedly,  to  the  State  senate,  was  I 
elected,  served  one  year  with  marked  distinction,  and  then  j 
retired,  as  he  had  from  the  house.  He  had,  indeed,  no  desire 
for  office.  On  coming  to  Worcester  he  had  been  offered  a 
partnership  by  Emory  Washburn,  soon  after  governor  of  the 
State,  and  later  a  professor  in  the  Harvard  Law  School.  This 
connection  brought  him  at  once  into  one  of  the  largest  prac 
tices  in  the  county,  and  his  partner's  election  to  the  governor-' 
ship,  which  soon  followed,  gave  him  entire  responsibility  foif,, 
the  business  of  the  firm.  He  was  not  only  very  busy,  but 
he  was  devoted  to  his  profession,  for  he  possessed  legal  abili 
ties  of  the  highest  order.  Yet  he  was  never  too  busy  to  give 
his  sen-ices  freely  to  the  great  cause  of  human  rights,  which 
he  had  so  much  at  heart.  He  labored  unceasingly  in  his 
resistance  to  slavery  and  in  building  up  the  Republican  party, 
which  during  that  time  was  fast  rising  into  power,  l>otli  in 
State  and  nation. 

It  is  impossible  to  follow  him  through  those  eventful  years 
when  freedom  and  slavery  clinched  in  a  death  struggle  far  out 
in  Kansas  and  the  black  clouds  of  civil  war  were  gathering 
darkly  on  the  horizon.  But  there  are  two  incidents  of  that 
period  which  illustrate  Mr.  HOAR'S  character  so  strongly  that 
they  can  not  be  passed  over.  In  1854  the  Know  Nothing 
movement  broke  out  with  all  the  force  of  a  tropical  hurricane.  ] 
To  men  painfully  struggling  to  bring  a  great  cause  to  judgment 
against  the  resistance  of  the  old  and  dominant  parties  it  offered 
many  temptations.  The  new  party  was  overwhelming  in  its 
strength;  it  evidently  could  not  last  indefinitely;  it  was  sound 
on  the  slavery  question,  and  it  promised  to  act  as  a  powerful 
solvent  and  disintegrate  the  old  organizations  which  every  Free 
Soiler  rightly  thought  was  vital  to  their  own  success.  But  Mr. 


28  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

HOAR,  unmoved  by  the  storm,  believing  in  freedom  of  con 
science  as  he  believed  in  political  freedom,  set  himself  in  stern 
opposition  to  a  party  which  rested  on  the  principle  of  discrimi 
nation  and  ostracism  against  all  men  of  a  certain  race  or  of  a 
given  creed.  No  public  clamor  then  or  ever  was  able  to  sway 
him  from  those  ideals  of  faith  and  conduct  which  were  the 
guiding  stars  of  his  life. 

The  other  incident  was  widely  different  and  even  more  char 
acteristic/-  If  there  was  one  thing  more  hateful  to  Mr.  HOAR 
than  another  in  those  days  it  was  the  return  of  runaway  slaves 
to  the  South  by  the  authorities  of  Northern  States.  Massachu 
setts  was  the  scene  of  some  of  the  worst  examples  of  this  bad 
business,  and  the  wrath  of  the  people  was  deeply  stirred.  In 
1 854  a  deputy  marshal  connected  with  the  work  of  slave  catch 
ing  arrived  in  Worcester.  His  presence  became  known,  and 
an  angry  mob,  utterly  uncontrollable  by  the  little  police  force 
of  the  town,  gathered  about  the  hotel.  The  man  was  in  immi- 
'  nent  danger  and  stricken  with  terror.  No  one  loathed  a  slave 
catcher  more  than  Mr.  HOAR,  but  the  idealist  gave  way  to  the 
lover  of  law  and  ordered  liberty.  Mr.  HOAR  went  out  and 
addressed  the  crowd,  then  gave  his  arm  to  the  terrified  man, 
walked  with  him  down  the  street,  surrounded  by  a  few  friends, 
and  so  got  him  to  the  station  and  out  of  the  town,  bruised 

by  blows  but  alive  and  in  safety. 

-^ 

So  the  years  of  that  memorable  time  went  by.  Mr.  HOAR 
worked  diligently  in  his  profession,  rising  to  the  front  rank  of 
ithe  bar  and  laboring  in  season  and  out  of  season  in  support  of 
the  Republican  party  and  of  the  Administration  of  Lincoln 
when  the  civil  \var  came.  He  had  neither  thought  nor  desire 
for  public  life  or  public  office.  He  wished  to  succeed  in  his 
profession,  to  live  quietly  at  home  among  his  books,  and  he 
cherished  the  modest  ambition  of  one  day  becoming  a  judge 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  29 

of  the  supreme  court  of  the  State.  But  it  was  ordered  other 
wise.  In  itS68  Mr.  HOAR  went  to  Europe,  worn  out  by  hard  A 
work  at  his  profession.  There  were  at  the  moment  many 
candidates  for  the  nomination  for  Congress  in  the  Worcester 
district,  and  most  of  them  were  strong  and  able  men.  In  this 
condition  of  affairs  Mr.  HOAR  consented  to  let  some  of  his 
friends  bring  his  name  forward,  and  then  took  his  departure 
for  Europe.  Travel  and  rest  brought  back  his  health  and  he 
returned  home  eager  for  his  profession,  regretting  that  he  had 
allowed  his  name  to  be  suggested  as  that  of  a  candidate  for 
any  position,  only  to  find  himself  nominated  for  Congress  on 
the  first  ballot  taken  in  the  convention.  So  his  life  in  Wash 
ington  l>egan,  with  no  desire  or  expectation  on  his  part  of  a 
sen-ice  of  more  than  one  or  two  terms.  At  the  end  of  his 
second  term  he  announced  his  intention  of  withdrawing  and 
was  persuaded  to  reconsider  it.  The  fourth  time  he  was 
obliged  again  to  withdraw  a  refusal  to  run  because  it  was  a 
year  of  peril  to  the  party.  The  next  time  the  refusal  was 
final  and  his  successor  was  nominated  and  elected. 
s~  His  eight  years  in  the  House  were  crowded  with  work.  He 
j  began  with  a  very  moderate  estimate  of  his  own  capacities, 
I  but  his  power  of  eloquent  speech  and  his  knowledge  and  ability 
J  as  a  lawyer  soon  brought  him  forward.  When  S.  S.  Cox 
sneered  at  him  one  day,  saying  "Massachusetts  had  not  sent 
her  Hector  to  the  field,"  and  Mr.  HOAR  replied  that  there  was 
\  no  need  to  send  Hector  to  meet  Thersites,  the  House  recog 
nized  a  quick  and  biting  wit,  of  which  it  was  well  to  l>eware. 
When  Mr.  HOAR  entered  the  House  Congress  was  engaged 
in  completing  the  work  which  by  the  war  and  the  emancipation 
of  the  slaves  had  marked  the  triumph  of  that  mighty  struggle 
for  human  freedom  to  which  he  had  given  his  youth  and  early 
manhood.  He  was  therefore  absorbed  in  the  questions  raised 


30  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

\>\  the  reconstruction  policy,  which  involved  the  future  of  the 
race  he  had  hoped  to  free,  and  he  labored  especially  in  the 
interests  of  that  race  for  the  establishment  of  national  educa 
tion,  which,  after  years  of  effort  constantly  renewed,  ultimately 
failed  of  accomplishment.  But  the  civil  war,  besides  its  great 
triumphs  of  a  Union  preserved  and  a  race  set  free,  had  left  also 
the  inevitable  legacy  of  such  convulsions,  great  social  and 
political  demoralization  in  all  parts  of  the  country  and  in  all 
phases  of  public  and  private  life.  Political  patronage  ran  riot 
among  the  offices  and  made  Mr.  HOAR  one  of  the  most  ardent, 
as  he  was  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  effective,  of  civil-service 
reformers.  Unhappily,  however,  the  poison  of  the  time  pene 
trated  much  higher  in  the  body  politic  than  the  small  routine 
offices  so  sorely  misused  under  the  "spoils  system."  It  was 
an  era  when  Cabinet  officers  and  party  leaders  were  touched 
and  smirched  and  when  one  Congressional  investigation  fol 
lowed  hard  upon  another.  Mr.  HOAR'S  keenness  as  a  lawyer, 
his  power  as  a  cross-examiner,  and  his  fearless  and  indignant 
honesty  caused  the  House  to  turn  to  him  for  this  work  of 
punishment  and  purification,  which  was  as  painful  as  it  was 
necessary.  He  was  a  member  of  the  committee  to  investigate 
the  Freedmen's  Bureau,  and  took  part  in  the  report  which 
exonerated  General  Howard.  He  was  one  of  the  House 
managers  in  the  Belknap  trial  and  the  leading  member  of  the 
committee  which  investigated  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  and 
the  scandals  of  the  Credit  Mobilier. 

But  his  greatest  and  most  distinguished  service  came  to"Tiim 
just  as  his  career  in  the  House  was  drawing  to  a  close.  The 
demoralization  of  the  war,  the  working  out  of  reconstruction, 
the  abnormal  conditions  which  war  and  reconstruction  together 
had  produced,  culminated  in  1876  in  a  disputed  Presidential 
election.  Into  the  events  of  that  agitated  winter  it  is  needless 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  31 

and  impossible  to  enter.  The  situation  was  in  the  highest  de 
gree  perilous,  and  everyone  recogni/.ed  that  a  grave  crisis  had 
arisen  in  the  history  of  the  Republic.  Finally  an  electoral  tri 
bunal  was  established  which  settled  the  controversy  and  re 
moved  the  danger.  Upon  that  tribunal  Mr.  HOAR  was  placed 
by  a  Democratic  Speaker  as  one  of  the  representatives  of  the 
House,  and  this  appointment  alone  was  sufficient  to  fix  his  place 
as  one  of  the  political  leaders  of  the  country.  With  this  great 
and  responsible  task  accomplished,  his  career  in  the  House 
drew  to  a  close.  Yet  even  while  he  was  thus  engaged  a  new 
and  larger  service  came  to  him  by  his  election  to  the_j$enate. 
He  was  then,  as  when  he  entered  the  House,  without  desire 
for  public  office.  He  still  longed  to  return  to- his  library  and 
his  profession  and  allow  the  pleasures  and  honors  as  well  as  the 
trials  of  public  life  to  pass  by.  But  again  it  was  not  to  be. 
There  was  at  that  time  a  strong  and  deep-rooted  opposition  to 
the  dominance  of  General  Butler  in  the  politics  of  Massachu 
setts,  and  this  opposition,  determined  to  have  a  Senator  in  full 
sympathy  with  them,  took  up  Mr.  HOAR  as  their  candidate 
and,  without  effort  or  even  desire  on  his  part,  elected  him. 

So  he  passed  from  the  House  to  the  Senate.  He  entered  the 
Senate  a  leader,  and  a  leader  he  remained  to  the  end,  ever 
growing  in  strength  and  influence,  ever  filling  a  larger  place, 
until  he  was  recognized  everywhere  as  one  of  the  first  of  Amer 
ican  statesmen,  until  his  words  were  listened  to  by  all  his 
countrymen,  until  there  gathered  about  him  the  warm  light  of 
history,  and  men  saw  when  he  rose  in  debate — 
The  past  of  the  nation  in  battle  there. 

Neither  time  nor  the  occasion  permits  me  to  trace  in  fitting 
detail  that  long  and  fine  career  in  the  Senate.  Mr.  HOAR  was 
a  great  Senator.  He  brought  to  his  service  an  intense  patriot 
ism,  a  trained  intellect,  wide  learning,  a  profound  knowledge 


32  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

of  law  and  history,  an  unsullied  character,  and  noble  abilities. 
All  these  gifts  he  expended  without  measure  or  stint  in  his 
country's  service.  His  industry  was  extraordinary  and  unceas 
ing.  Whatever  he  spared  in  life,  he  never  spared  himself  in 
the  performance  of  his  public  duty.  The  laws  .settling  the 
Presidential  succession,  providing  for  the  count  of  the  electoral 
vote,  for  the  final  repeal  of  the  tenure-of -office  act,  for  a  uniform 
system  of  bankruptcy,  are  among  the  more  conspicuous  monu 
ments  of  his  industry  and  energy  and  of  his  power  as  a  con 
structive  lawmaker  and  statesman.  Nor  did  his  activity  cease 
with  the  work  of  the  Senate.  He  took  a  large  part  in  public 
discussion  in  every  political  campaign  and  in  the  politics  of  his 
own  State.  He  was  a  delegate  to  four  national  conventions,  a 
leading  figure  in  all,  and  in  1880  he  presided  at  Chicago,  with 
extraordinary  power,  tact,  and  success,  over  the  stormiest  con 
vention,  with  a  single  exception,  known  to  our  history. 
1 1  In  the  Senate  he  was  a  great  debater,  quick  in  retort,  with  all 
the  resources  of  his  mind  always  at  his  command.  Although 
he  had  no  marked  gifts  of  presence,  voice,  or  deliver}-,  he  was 
none  the  less  a  master  of  brilliant  and  powerful  speech.  His 
style  was  noble  and  dignified,  with  a  touch  of  the  stateliness  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  rich  in  imagery  and  allusion,  full  of  the 
apt  quotations  which  an  unerring  taste,  an  iron  memory,  and 
the  widest  reading  combined  to  furnish.  When  he  was  roused, 
when  his  imagination  was  fired,  his  feelings  engaged,  or  his 
indignation  awakened,  he  was  capable  of  a  passionate  eloquence 
which  touched  every  chord  of  emotion  and  left  no  one  who  lis 
tened  to  him  unmoved.  At  these  moments,  whether  he  spoke 
on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  in  the  presence  of  a  great  popular 
audience,  or  in  the  intimacy  of  private  conversation,  the  words 
glowed,  the  sentences  marshaled  themselves  in  stately  sequence, 
and  the  idealism  which  was  the  dominant  note  of  his  life  was 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  33 

heard  sounding  clear  and  strong  above  and  beyond  all  pleas  of 
interest  or  expediency. 

So  \ve  come  back  to  the  light  which  shone  upon  his  early 
years  and  which  never  failed  him  to  the  last.  Mr.  HOAR 
was  lx>rn  in  the  period  of  revolt.  He  joined  the  human- 
rights  statesmen  of  that  remarkable  time.  He  shared  in 
their  labors;  he  saw  the  once  unpopular  cause  rise  up  victo 
rious  through  the  stress  and  storm  of  battle;  he  beheld  the 
visions  of  his  youth  change  into  realities  and  his  country 
emerge  triumphant  from  the  awful  ordeal  of  civil  war.  He 
came  into  public  life  in  season  to  join  in  completing  the 
work  of  the  men  who  had  given  themselves  up  to  the 
destruction  of  slavery  and  the  preservation  of  the  Union. 
But  even  then  the  mighty  emotions  of  those  terrible  years 
were  beginning  to  subside.  The  seas  which  had  been  run 
ning  mountain  high  were  going  down,  the  tempestuous  winds 
before  which  the  ship  of  state  had  driven  for  long  years  were 
dropping  and  bid  fair  to  come  out  from  another  quarter. 
The  country  was  passing  into  a  new  political  period.  Ques 
tions  involving  the  rights  of  men  and  the  wrongs  of  humanity 
gave  place  throughout  the  world  of  western  civilization  to 
those  of  trade  and  commerce,  of  tariffs  and  currency  and 
finance.  The  world  returned  to  a  period  when  the  issues 
were  economic,  industrial,  and  commercial,  and  when  the 
vast  organizations  of  capital  and  labor  opened  up  a  new 
series  of  problems.  In  the  United  States,  as  the  issues  of 
the  war  faded  into  the  distance  and  material  prosperity  was 
carried  to  heights  undreamed  of  before,  the  nation  turned 
Inevitably  from  the  completed  conquest  of  its  own  continent 
to  expansion  beyond  its  borders,  and  to  the  assertion  of  a 
control  and  authority  which  were  its  due  among  the  great 
powers  of  the  earth.  Many  years  before  Mr.  HOAR'S  death 
S.  Doc.  201,  58-3 3 


34  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

the  change  was  complete,  and  he  found  himself  a  leader  in 
the  midst  of  a  generation  whose  interests  and  whose  concep 
tions  differed  widely  from  those  to  which  his  own  life  had 
been  devoted.  He  took  up  the  new  questions  with  the  same 
zeal  and  the  same  power  which  he  had  brought  to  the  old. 
He  made  himself  master  of  the  tariff,  aided  thereto  by  his 
love  of  the  great  industrial  community  which  he  had  seen 
grow  up  about  him  at  Worcester,  and  whose  success  he 
attributed  to  the  policy  of  protection.  In  the  same  way  he 
studied,  reflected  upon,  and  discussed  problems  of  banking 
and  currency  and  the  conflict  of  standards.  But  at  bottom 
all  these  questions  were  alien  to  him.  However  thoroughly 
he  mastered  them,  however  wisely  he  dealt  with  them,  they 
never  touched  his  heart.  His  inheritance  of  sound  sense, 
of  practical  intelligence,  of  reverence  for  precedent,  rendered 
it  easy  for  him  to  appreciate  and  understand  the  value  and 
importance  of  matters  involving  industrial  prosperity  and  the 
growth  of  trade;  but  the  underlying  idealism  made  these 
questions  at  the  same  time  seem  wholly  inferior  to  the 
nobler  aspirations  upon  which  his  youth  was  nurtured.  An 
idealist  he  was  born,  and  so  he  lived  and  died.  Neither 
skepticism  nor  experience  could  chill  the  hopes  or  dim  the 
visions  of  his  young  manhood.  He  was  imbued  with  the 
profound  and  beautiful  faith  in  humanity  characteristic  of 
that  earlier  time.  He  lived  to  find  himself  in  an  atmosphere 
where  this  faith  was  invaded  by  doubt  and  questioning^ 

How  much  that  great  movement,  driven  forward  by  faith  in 
humanity  and  hope  for  its  future,  to  which  Mr.  HOAR  gave  all 
that  was  best  of  his  youth  and  manhood,  accomplished,  it  is  not 
easy  to  estimate.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  the  results  were  vast 
in  their  beneficence.  But  the  wrongs  and  burdens  which  it 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  35 

swept  away  were  known  by  the  sharp  exi>erience  of  actual  suf 
fering  only  to  the  generations  which  had  endured  them.  The 
succeeding  generation  had  never  felt  the  hardships  and  oppres 
sions  which  had  j>erished,  but  were  keenly  alive  to  all  the  evils 
which  survived.  Hence  the  inevitable  tendency  to  doubt  the 
worth  of  any  great  movement  which  -has  come,  done  its  work, 
and  gone,  asserted  itself;  for  there  are  no  social  or  political 
panaceas,  although  mankind  never  ceases  to  look  for  them  and 
expect  them.  To  a  ]>eriod  of  enthusiasm,  aspiration,  and  faith, 
resulting  in  great  changes  and  in  great  l>enefits  to  humanity,  a 
period  of  skepticism  and  reaction  almost  always  succeeds.  The 
work  goes  on,  what  has  been  accomplished  is  made  sure,  much 
good  is  done,  but  the  spirit  of  the  age  alters. 
y^The  new  generation  inclined  to  the  view  of  science  and  his 
tory  that  there  were  ineradicable  differences  between  the  races 
of  men.  They  questioned  the  theory  that  opportunity  was 
equivalent  to  capacity;  they  refused  to  believe  that  a  ]>eople 
totally  ignorant  or  to  whom  freedom  and  self-government  were 
unknown  could  carry  on  successfully  the  complex  machinery  of 
constitutional  and  representative  government  which  it  had  cost 
the  English-speaking  peoples  centuries  of  effort  and  training  to 
bring  forth./  To  expect  this  seemed  to  the  new  time  as  unrea 
sonable  as  to  believe  that  an  Ashantee  could  regulate  a  watch 
l>ecause  it  was  given  to  him,  or  an  Arruwhimi  dwarf  run  a  loco 
motive  to  anything  but  wreck  because  the  lever  was  placed  in 
his  hands.  Through  all  these  shifting  phases  of  thought  and 
feeling  Mr.  HOAR  remained  unchanged,  a  man  of  '4^,  his  ideals 
unaltered,  his  faith  in  tlie  quick  perfectibility  of  humanity 
unshaken,  his  hopes  for  the  world  of  men  still  glowing  with  the 
warmth  and  light  of  eager  youth.  And  when  all  is  said,  when 
science  and  skepticism  and  experience  have  spoken  their  last 


36  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

word,  the  ideals  so  cherished  by  him  still  stand  as  noble  and 
inspiring  as  the  faith  upon  which  they  rested  was  beautiful  and 
complete.//  The  man  who  steered  his  course  by  stars  like  these 
could  never  lose  his  reckoning  or  be  at  variance  with  the  eter 
nal  verities  which  alone  can  lift  us  from  the  earth.  His  own 
experience,  moreover,  although  mingled  with  disappointments, 
as  is  the  common  fate  of  man,  could  but  confirm  his  faith  and 
hope.  He  had  dreamed  dreams  and  seen  visions  in  his  youth, 
but  he  had  beheld  those  dreams  turn  to  -reality  and  those 
visions  come  true  in  a  manner  rarely  vouchsafed.  He  had  seen 
the  slave  freed  and  the  Union  saved.  He  had  shared  with  his 
countrymen  in  their  marvelous  onward  march  to  prosperity  and 
power.  He  had  seen  rise  up  from  the  revolt  of  1848  a  free  and 
united  Italy,  a  united  Germany,  a  French  Republic,  a  free 
Hungary.  He  would  have  been  a  cynic  and  a  skeptic  indeed  if 
he  had  wavered  in  his  early  faith.  And  so  his  ideals  and  the 
triumphs  they  had  won  made  him  full  of  confidence  and  cour 
age,  even  to  the  end.  He,  too,  could  say: 

I  find  earth  not  gray,  but  rosy; 

Heaven  not  grim,  but  fair  of  hue. 
Do  I  stoop?     I  pluck  a  posy. 

Do  I  stand  and  stare?     All's  blue. 

This  splendid  optimism,  this  lofty  faith  in  his  country,  this 
belief  in  humanity  never  failed.  The}'  were  with  him  in  his 
boyhood;  they  were  still  with  him,  radiant  and  vital,  in  the 
days  when  he  lay  dying  in  Worcester.  It  was  all  part  of  his 
philosophy  of  life,  knit  in  the  fibers  of  his  being  and  pervading 
his  most  sacred  beliefs.  To  him  the  man  who  could  not 
recognize  the  limitations  of  life  on  earth  was  as  complete  a 
failure  as  the  man  who,  knowing  the  limitations,  sat  down 
content  among  them.  To  him  the  man  who  knew  the  limita 
tions  but  ever  strove  toward  the  perfection  he  could  not  reach 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  37 

was  the  victorious  soul,  the  true  servant  of  God.     As  Browning 
wrote  in  his  old  age,  he,  too,  might  have  said  that  he  was — 

One  who  never  turned  his  hack,  but  marched  breast  forward, 

Never  doubted  clouds  would  break, 
Never  dreamed,  though  right  were  worsted,  wron^  would  triumph, 

Held  we  fall  to  rise,  are  baffled  to  fitfht  l>etter, 
Sleep  to  wake. 

He  had  an  unusually  fortunate  and  happy  life.  He  was 
fortunate  in  the  knowledge  of  great  work  done,  happy  in 
never  knowing  idleness  or  the  distress  of  wondering  painfully 
how  to  pass  away  the  short  time  allowed  to  us  here,  or  the 
miserable  craving  for  constant  excitement  so  marked  at  the 
present  moment.  His  vacations  were  filled,  as  were  his  working 
hours.  He  traveled  wisely  and  well,  and  the  Old  World  spoke 
to  him  as  she  only  does  to  those  who  know  her  history.  He 
was  a  lover  of  nature.  He  rejoiced  in  the  beauties  of  hill  and 
stream  and  forest,  of  sea  and  sky,  and  delighted  to  watch  the 
flight  of  the  eagle  or  listen  to  the  note  of  the  song  birds  in 
whose  name  he  wrote  the  charming  petition  which  brought 
them  the  protection  of  the  law  in  Massachusetts. 
/  He  was  a  scholar  in  the  wide,  generous,  unspecialized  sense 
of  an  older  and  more  leisurely  age  than  this.  His  Greek  and 
Latin  went  with  him  through  life,  and  the  great  poets  and 
dramatists  and  historians  of  antiquity  were  his  familiar  friends. 
His  knowledge  of  English  literature  was  extraordinary,  as 
extensive  as  it  was  minute  and  curious.  His  books  were  his 
companions,  an  unfailing  resource,  a  pleasure  never  exhausted. 
To  him  history  had  unrolled  her  ample  page,  and  as  antiquarian 
and  collector  he  had  all  the  joys  which  come  from  research  and 
from  the  gradual  acquisition  of  those  treasures  which  appeal  to 
the  literary,  the  historic,  or  the  artistic  sense. 

Any   man   of  well-balanced    mind   who   is   wedded   to    high 
ideals  is  sure  to  possess  q  great  loyalty  of  soul.      It  is  from 


38  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

such  men  that  martyrs  have  been  made,  the  true  martyrs 
whose  blood  has  been  the  seed  of  churches  and  across  whose 
fallen  bodies  great  causes  have  inarched  to  triumph.  But  it  is 
also  from  men  of  this  stamp,  whose  minds  are  warped,  that 
the  fanatics,  the  unreasoning  and  mischievous  extremists  like 
wise  come,  those  who  at  best  only  ring  an  alarm  bell,  and 
who  usually  are  thoroughly  harmful,  not  only  to  the  especial 
cause  they  champion,  but  to  all  other  good  causes,  which  they 
entirely  overlook.  There  is,  therefore,  no  slight  peril  in  the 
temperament  of  the  thorough  going  idealist,  unless  it  is  bal 
anced  and  controlled,  as  it  was  with  Mr.  HOAR,  by  sound 
sense  and  by  an  appreciation  of  the  relation  which  the  idealist 
and  his  ideals  bear  to  the  universe  at  large.  It  was  said  of  a 
brilliant  contemporary  of  Mr.  HOAR,  like  him  an  idealist,  that 
' '  if  he  had  lived  in  the  Middle  Ages,  he  would  have  gone  to 
the  stake  for  a  principle  under  a  misapprehension  as  to  the 
facts."  Mr.  HOAR  would  have  gone  to  the  stake  socially, 
politically,  and  physically  rather  than  yield  certain  profound 
beliefs.  But  if  he  had  made  this  last  great  sacrifice,  he  would 
have  known  just  what  he  was  doing  and  would  have  been 
under  no  misapprehension  as  to  the  facts. 

LtQyalty  to  his  ideals,  moreover,  was  not  his  only  lo)7alty. 
He  was  bv_nature  a  partisan;  he  could  not  hold  faiths  or  take 
sides  lightly  or  indifferently.  He  loved  the  great  part}'  he  had 
helped  to  found  in  that  strongest  of  all  ways,  with  an  open- 
eyed  and  not  a  "blind  affection.  He  more  than  once  differed 
from  his  party;  he  sometimes  opposed  it  on  particular  meas 
ures;  he  once,  at  least,  parted  with  it  on  a  great  national  issue; 
but  he  never  would  leave  it;  he  never  faltered  in  its  support. 
He  believed  that  two  great  parties  were  essential  bulwarks  of 
responsible  representative  government.  He  felt  that  a  man 
could  do  far  more  and  far  better  by  remaining  in  his  party, 
even  if  he  thought  it  wrong  in  some  one  particular,  than  by 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  39 

going  outside  and  becoming  a  mere  snarling  critic.  No  man 
respected  and  cherished  genuine  independence  more  than  he, 
and  no  man  more  heartily  despised  those  who  gave  to  hatred, 
malice,  and  all  uncharitableness  the  honored  name  of  inde 
pendence.  Nothing  could  tear  him  from  the  great  organiza 
tion  he  had  helped  and  labored  to  build  up.  If  anyone  had 
ever  tried  to  drive  him  out,  he  would  have  spoken  to  Republi 
cans  as  Webster  did  to  the  Whigs  in  1842  at  Faneuil  Hall, 
when  he  said: 

I  am  a  Whig;  I  always  have  been  a  Whig,  and  I  alway;:  will  be  one; 
and  if  there  are  any  who  would  turn  me  out  of  the  pale  of  that  com 
munion,  let  them  see  who  will  get  out  first. 

Mr.  HOAR'S  high  ideals  and  unswerving  loyalty  were  not 
confined  to  public  life  and  public  duty.  He  was  not  of  those 
who  raise  loft}-  standards  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  and  then 
lower  and  forget  them  in  the  privacy  of  domestic  life  and  in 
the  beaten  way  of  friendship.  He  was  brought  up  in  days 
when  "plain  living  and  high  thinking"  was  not  the  mere 
phrase  which  it  has  since  become,  but  a  real  belief,  and  to 
that  belief  he  always  adhered.  He  cast  away  a  large  income 
and  all  hope  of  wealth  for  the  sake  of  the  public  service. 
He  had  no  faculty  for  saving  money  and  no  desire  to  attempt  it. 
If  he  made  a  large  fee  in  an  occasional  case,  if  his  pen  brought 
him  a  handsome  reward,  it  all  went  iul)Qoks  or  pictures,  in  the 
hospitality  he  loved  to  exercise,  and  in  the  most  private  chari 
ties,  always  far  beyond  his  means.  He  once  said  that  he  had 
Ijeen  more  than  thirty  years  in  public  life  and  all  he  had  accu 
mulated  was  a  few  books.  But  there  was  no  bitterness,  no  repin 
ing  in  the  words.  He  respected  riches  wisely  used  for  the  public 
good,  but  he  was  as  free  from  vulgar  admiration  as  he  was  from 
the  equally  vulgar  hatred  of  wealth.  He  was,  in  a  word,  simply 
indifferent  to  the  possession  of  money — a  fine  attitude,-  never 
more  worthy  of  consideration  and  respect  than  in  these  very  days. 


4-O  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

His  love  for  his  native  land  was  an  intense  and  mastering 
emotion.  His  country  rose  before  his  imagination  like  some 
goddess  of  the  infant  world,  the  light  of  hope  shining  in  her 
luminous  eyes,  a  sweet  smile  upon  her  lips,  the  sword  of  justice 
in  her  fearless  hand,  her  broad  shield  stretched  out  to  shelter 
the  desolate  and  oppressed.  Before  that  gracious  vision  he 
bowed  his  head  in  homage.  His  family  and  friends — Massa- 
setts,  Concord,  Harvard  College,  Worcester — he  loved  and 
served  them  all  with  a  passion  and  affection  in  which  there  was 
no  shadow  of  turning.  His  pride  in  the  Senate,  in  its  history 
and  its  power,  and  his  affection  for  it  were  only  excelled  by  his 
jealous  care  for  its  dignity  and  its  prerogatives.  He  might  at 
times  criticise  its  actions,  but  he  would  permit  no  one  else  to 
do  so  or  to  reflect  in  his  presence  upon  what  he  regarded  as  the 
greatest  legislative,  body  ever  devised  by  man,  wherein  the 
ambassadors  of  sovereign  States  met  together  to  guard  and  to 
advance  the  fortunes  of  the  Republic.  Beneath  a  manner 
sometimes  cold,  sometimes  absent-minded,  often  indifferent, 
beat  one  of  the  tenderest  hearts  in  the  world.  He  had  known 
many  men  in  his  day — all  the  great  public  men,  all  the  men  of 
science,  of  letters,  or  of  art — and  his  judgments  upon  them 
were  just  and  generous,  yet  at  the  same  time  .shrewd,  keen, 
and  by  no  means  overlenient.  But  when  he  had  once  taken 
a  man  within  the  circle  of  his  affections  he  idealized  him  imme 
diately;  there  was  thenceforth  no  fleck  or  spot  upon  him,  and 
he  would  describe  him  in  glowing  phrases  which  depicted  a 
being  whom  the  world  perhaps  did  not  know  or  could  not  rec 
ognize.  It  was  easy  to  smile  at  some  of  his  estimates  of  those 
who  were  dear  to  him,  but  we  can  only  bow  in  reverence 
before  the  love  and  loyalty  which  inspired  the  thought — for 
these  are  beautiful  qualities  which  can  never  go  out  of  fashion. 

/He  was  a  fearless  and  ready  fighter;  he  struck  hard  and  did 
not  flinch  from  the  return.  His  tongue  could  utter  bitter 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  41 

words,  which  fell  like  a  whip  and  left  a  scar  behind,  but  he 
cherished  no  resentments,  he  nursed  no  grudges.  As  the 
shadows  lengthened  he  softened,  and  grew  ever  gentler  and 
more  tolerant.  The  caustic  wit  gave  place  more  and  more  to 
the  kindly  humor  which  was  one  of  his  greatest  attributes^/  In 
the  latter  days  he  would  fain  have  been  at  peace  with  all  men, 
and  he  sought  only  for  that  which  was  good  in  everyone  about 
him.  He  died  in  the  fullness  of  years,  with  his  affections 
unchilled,  his  fine  intellect  undimmed.  He  met  death  with 
the  calm  courage  with  which  he  had  faced  the  trials  of  life. 

He  took  his  shriveled  hand  without  resistance 
And  found  him  smiling  as  his  step  drew  near. 

So  he  passed  from  among  us,  a  man  of  noble  character  and 
high  abilities.  He  did  a  great  work;  he  lived  to  the  full  the 
life  of  his  time.  He  was  a  great  Senator  —  a  great  public 
servant  laboring  to  aid  his  fellow-men  and  to  uplift  humanity. 

He  has  fought  a  good  fight,  he  has  finished  his  course,  he  has  kept  the 
faith. 

May  we  not  say  of  him,  in  the  words  of  one  of  the  poets  who 
inspired  his  imagination,  in  the  noble  language  he  so  dearly 

loved  : 

Kuiyor  ToS'  cz'^o?  na.6i  noMraif 


yap 


On  all  this  folk,  both  low  and  high, 

A  grief  has  fallen  beyond  men's  fears. 

There  cometh  a  throbbing  of  many  tears, 

A  sound  as  of  waters  falling. 

For  when  great  men  die, 

A  mighty  name  and  a  bitter  cry 

Rise  up  from  a  nation  calling. 

NOTE.  —  This  English  version  of  the  last  chorus  in  the  Hippolytus  of 
Euripides  is  taken  from  the  remarkable  and  very  beautiful  translation 
of  that  tragedy  by  Professor  Murray. 


42  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  ALLISON,  OF  IOWA 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  I  have  listened  with  profound  interest  and 
with  much  gratification  to  the  address  just  delivered  by  the 
senior  Senator  from  Massachusetts  [Mr.  Lodge] ,  portraying 
the  story  of  the  life,  character,  and  public  services  of  his  late 
colleague,  Senator  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR.  That  character 
was  a  great  one,  and  it  has  been  so  eloquently  depicted  by  the 
Senator  from  Massachusetts  that  it  seems  almost  impossible 
for  anyone  else  to  add  to  that  beautiful  tribute.  I  regret  that, 
with  the  occupations  and  duties  pressing  upon  me  at  this  late 
stage  of  the  session,  I  have  not  had  time  to  make  the  necessary 
preparation  for  speaking  as  I  should  like  to  speak  of  the  dis 
tinguished  public  services  rendered  by  the  late  Senator  HOAR 
in  the  two  Houses  of  Congress,  covering  a  continuous  period 
of  thirty-five  years.  I  can  not,  however,  refrain  from  express 
ing  in  brief  terms  my  appreciation  of  those  services  and 
offering  what  must  necessarily  be  an  imperfect  tribute  to  his 
memory. 

I  was  fortunate  enough  to  be  a  Member  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  when  Mr.  HOAR  first  appeared  in  that  body 
in  1869.  He  entered  the  House  fully  equipped  for  the  great 
work  of  the  period  immediately  following  the  close  of  the 
civil  war,  having  previously  enjoyed  unusual  advantages  and 
opportunities.  He  came  of  a  long  line  of  ancestry  of  educated 
and  scholarly  men,  who  had  achieved  distinction  in  his  native 
State.  He  had  the  advantage  of  an  intellectual  training  in 
the  oldest  and  most  distinguished  university  in  our  country, 
and  in  his  early  youth  had  not  only  in  his  own  family,  but 


Address  of  Mr.  Allison,  of  Iowa  43 

among  his  immediate  surroundings,  the  example  and  influence 
of  many  illustrious  scholars  and  writers.  Reared  in  an  atmos 
phere  of  "plain  living  and  high  thinking,"  of  right  speaking 
and  right  acting,  he  had  formed  lofty  ideals  of  private  conduct 
and  public  duty. 

He  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  of  the 
law,  and  soon  after  had  the  good  fortune  to  become  associated 
with  one  of  the  most  distinguished  members  of  the  New 
Kngland  bar,  which  brought  him  at  once  into  great  activity 
as  a  lawyer  in  the  courts. 

Thus  equipped,  he  entered  upon  the  work  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.  A  close  student  of  the  history  of  our  country, 
he  was  familiar  with  the  public  questions  that  confronted  him 
and  was  equally  familiar  with  the  details  of  the  events  which 
brought  about  the  then  existing  conditions.  Having  great 
ability  and  large  experience  as  a  lawyer,  and  entering  the 
House  at  the  mature  age  of  43  years,  it  was  expected  that  he 
would  soon  take  high  rank  in  that  body.  This  expectation 
was  fully  reali/ed.  He  early  became  one  of  the  ablest  and 
most  conspicuous  Members  of  the  House,  and  participated 
actively  in  the  enactment  of  legislation  to  solve  the  difficult 
problems  which  were  from  time  to  time  presented. 

His  leadership  in  the  House  was  early  recognized  by  his 
assignment  to  most  important  duties;  notably,  he  was  a  leading 
manager  in  the  Belknap  impeachment  trial  in  1876.  He  was 
also  one  of  the  members,  on  the  part  of  the  House,  of  the  Elec 
toral  Commission  of  1877,  the  decisions  of  which  resulted  in 
the  peaceful  inauguration  of  President  Hayes  and  averted  what 
then  appeared  to  be  a  most  dangerous  situation  arising  from  a 
defect  or  omission  in  the  law  respecting  the  method  of  counting 
the  electoral  votes  for  President  and  Vice- President.  Although 
in  the  heat  of  partisan  debate  the  decisions  of  the  Commission 


44  Life  and  Character  of  George  F,  Hoar 

were  for  a  time  criticized,  it  is  now  generally  admitted  that  the 
whole  scheme  as  respects  the  creation  of  the  Commission  and 
its  decisions  meet  the  general  approval  of  the  people  of  our 
country  as  the  wisest  and  best  mode  of  adjusting  that  emergent 
difficulty,  which  is  not  likely  to  occur  in  the  future. 

He  took  his  seat  in  the  Senate  on  the  4th  of  March,  1877, 
and  brought  with  him  the  added  reputation  and  distinction 
achieved  in  his  eight  years  of  service  in  the  House.  He  served 
here  continuously  until  the  date  of  his  death,  for  a  period  of 
more  than  twenty-seven  years. 

His  service  here  was, coustant^active,  and  vigilant;  and  with 
out  disparagement  of  any  of  the  eminent  men  who  served  with 
him  during  this  long  period,  it  may  be  truthfully  said  that, 
compared  with  him,  there  were  few,  if  any,  who  brought  to 
this  service  higher  ideals  of  public  duty,  greater  industry  in 
public  work,  greater  learning  as  respects  the  structure  of  our 
Government,  or  a  wider  knowledge  of  its  constitutional  history 
and  the  successive  steps  in  its  growth  and  development. 
.^He  was  a  ready  and  incisive  debater,  as  man}'  of  us  have 
reason  to  remember,  with  great  power  of  analysis,  and  with 
a  very  accurate  knowledge  of  almost  every  conceivable  sub 
ject  that  was  likely  to  arise  in  debate.  He  was  quick  to 
detect  the  weak  points  in  the  armor  of  his  adversary,  and 
being  himself  armed  with  rapier  and  scimiter  he  was  always 
ready  to  thrust  or  parry  a  blow. 

He  made  many  speeches  in  the  Senate  on  many  subjects. 
He  readily  utilized  his  wide  knowledge  of  history  as  appli 
cable  to  the  particular  matter  under  consideration.  He  often 
made  studied  preparation  for  such  efforts;  but  with  wide  read 
ing,  a  well-stored  mind,  and  a  most  retentive  memory,  he 
made  many  able  and  effective  speeches  without  such  prepa 
ration.  Many  Senators  will  recollect  that  some  of  the  ablest 


Address  of  Mr.  Allison,  of  Iowa  45 

speeches  made  by  Senator  HOAR  were  delivered  in  executive 
session  when  great  topics  were  under  consideration. 

Senator  HOAR  was  an  orator.  He  had  the  power  of  utter 
ing  his  thoughts  in  a  manner  to  produce  conviction  or  per 
suasion.  He  charmed  his  hearers  with  the  wealth  and  beauty 
of  his  rhetoric  and  diction.// 

/jfirom  his  early  life  he  was  a  believer  in  universal  freedom 
and  in  the  mission  of  our  country  to  make  laws  universal  in 
their  application  as  respects  the  people  of  all  races,  giving 
equal  opportunities  to  all.  Thus  for  years  he  advocated  the 
appropriation  of  public  money  from  the  Treasury  of  the 
United  States  for  the  education  of  the  negro  race  in  the  South 
in  order  to  qualify  that  race  for  the  duties  of  citizenship. 
His  eloquent  advocacy  of  that  duty  of  our  Government  may 
yet  in  time  appeal  convincingly  to  legislators  who  are  here 
and  those  who  may  come  hereafter.  / 

He  believed  that  our  country  was  intended  to  be  an  asy 
lum  for  all  oppressed  peoples,  and  therefore  he  opposed  all 
laws  prohibiting  immigration  of  particular  races,  and  espe 
cially  opposed  the  enactment  of  the  laws  prohibiting  Chinese 
immigration  into  our  country,  but  later  yielded  to  the  gen 
eral  sentiment  on  that  subject.  I  think  one  of  the  ablest 
speeches  that  has  been  delivered  on  this  floor  was  a  speech 
made  by  Senator  HOAR  in  opposition  to  the  enactment  of  a  pro 
posed  law  for  the  prohibition  of  the  immigration  of  Chinese ^ 

\Ve  all  remember  how  earnestly  he  opposed  the  entire  scheme 
for  control  over  the  Philippine  Archipelago.  He  believed  that 
those  people  should  be  left  to  work  out  their  own  destiny  in 
such  manner  as  to  them  seemed  wisest  and  best,  differing  in 
that  respect  from  the  great  majority  of  his  party,  and  possibly 
from  a  great  majority  of  the  people  of  the  country.  But  he 
was  also  ja__partifta«^  He  believed  that  the  great  interests  of 


46  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

this  country  could  be  more  safely  intrusted  to  the  Republican 
party  than  to  any  other.  Therefore  he  steadily  adhered  to 
that  party,  though  differing  from  it  in  respect  to  some  of  its 
declared  public  policies,  of  which  I  have  given  a  notable 
illustration. 

Senator  HOAR  was  an  industrious  man — always  investiga 
ting,  working,  thinking,  writing,  and  speaking  upon  subjects 
of  great  interest.  His  Recollections  disclose  this  trait  in  his 
character  to  a  marked  degree,  but  it  was  illustrated  in  other 
\vays.  During  his  vacations  he  prepared  with  care  and  deliv 
ered  many  speeches  and  orations  upon  topics  of  general  interest 
not  political  in  character.  Those  speeches  would  make  a  most 
interesting  and  instructive  volume,  and  I  hope  that  at  no  dis 
tant  day  they  will  be  gathered  into  a  volume  for  the  benefit  of 
students  of  our  history. 

Those  speeches  were  often  of  a  historical  character,  and 
disclosed  that  in  their  preparation  he  had  delved  into  obscure 
records  and  gathered  incidents  not  found  in  published  papers. 
His  oration  at  the  centennial  of  the  settlement  of  Ohio,  deliv 
ered  at  Marietta,  is  a  notable  illustration  of  this  painstaking 
preparation,  and  is  the  most  complete  history  of  that  early 
settlement  which  has  been  \vritten,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able 
to  observe. 

/ .  During  the  last  years  of  his  life,  though  feeble  in  health,  he 
/  made  several  speeches  of  this  character,  to  one  of  which  I  wish 
to  make  particular  allusion.  Two  years  ago  the  president  of 
the  Iowa  State  University  made  a  journey  to  Washington  with 
a  message  from  the  regents  of  the  university  inviting  Senator 
HOAR  to  deliver  the  oration  at  their  annual  commencement  in 
1903.  That  invitation  was  extended  to  Senator  HOAR  on 
account  of  the  general  admiration  of  his  lofty  character  and 
his  great  public  worth.  He  expressed  a  wish  to  comply  with 


Address  of  Mr.  Allison,  of  Iowa  47 

the  request,  but  doubted  whether  he  had  the  health  and 
strength  to  make  preparation  and  also  to  make  the  journey. 
He  was  finally  persuaded  to  accept.  On  that  occasion  he 
delivered  a  most  charming  and  finished  oration  relative  to  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  It  is  now  and  will  be  for  many  years  one  of  the  most 
pleasant  memories  of  the  people  of  our  State  who  heard  him 
that  they  had  that  rare  opportunity  of  listening  to  his 
eloquence. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  he  aad  the  respect  and  the  affec 
tion  of  all  the  people  whom  he  had  long  served  faithfully 
and  well. 

Mr.  President,  I  repeat  that  it  is  to  me  a  source  of  sincere 
regret  that,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  public  duties,  I  have  been 
prevented  from  making  the  proper  preparation  to  pay  fitting 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  this  illustrious  man.  I  knew  him 
personally  during  the  entire  term  of  his  service  in  both  Houses 
of  Congress,  and  I  am  most  happy  to  say  that  during  that 
extended  period  we  were  always  upon  the  most  pleasant  and 
agreeable  terms  of  friendship. 


48  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  COCKRELL,  OF  MISSOURI 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  I  willingly  unite  with  others  in  this  Cham 
ber  in  paying  just  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Hon.  GEORGE 
FRISBIE  HOAR,  late  a  United  States  Senator  from  the  State 
of  Massachusetts. 

He  was  born  at  Concord,  Mass.,  August  29,  1826,  and  died 
on  the  30th  day  of  September,  1904.  He  graduated  at  Har 
vard  College  in  1846,  studied  law  and  graduated  at  the  Dane 
Law  School,  Harvard  University,  and  entered  upon  the  prac 
tice  of  his  chosen  profession  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  thereafter 
his  residence.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  State  house 
of  representatives  in  1852,  and  of  the  State  senate  in  1857, 
and  subsequently  served  as  a  Representative  in  the  Forty- 
first,  Forty-second,  Forty-third,  and  Forty-fourth  Congresses, 
serving  continuously  for  eight  years,  and  declined  a  renom- 
ination  for  Representative  in  the  Forty-fifth  Congress. 

He  was  elected  as  a  Republican  to  the  United  States  Sen 
ate  to  succeed  Hon.  George  S.  Boutwell,  for  the  term  begin 
ning  March  4,  1877,  and  was  reelected  in  1883,  1889,  1895, 
and  1901.  His  term  would  have  expired  March  3,  1907. 
He  was  an  overseer  of  Harvard  College  1874-1880,  declined 
reelection,  but  was  reelected  in  1896,  and  again  for  six  years 
in  1900.  He  \vas  president  of  the  association  of  the  alumni 
of  Harvard. 

He  presided  over  the  Massachusetts  State  Republican  con 
ventions  in  1871,  1877,  1882,  and  1885,  and  was  a  delegate  to 
the  Republican  national  conventions  of  1876,  at  Cincinnati, 
and  of  1880,  1884,  and  1888  at  Chicago.  Presided  over  the 


Address  of  Mr.  Cockrcll,  of  Missouri  49 

convention  of   1880,   and  was  chairman  of  the   Massachusetts 
delegation  in  1880,  1884,  and  1888.      In  the  Forty-fourth  Con 
gress  he  \vas  one  of  the  managers  on  the  part  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  in  the  Belknap  impeachment  trial  in  1876. 
In  1877  he  was  one  of    the  five    Members    of    the    House    of 
Representatives   appointed   on    the  commission    authori/ed  by 
the  act  of   January  29,  1877,  entitled   "An  act  to  provide  fori 
and   regulate    the    counting  of  votes    for  President  and  Vice-  > 
President  and   the   decision  of   questions   arising   thereon    for 
the  term  commencing  March  4,  A.  I).  1877." 

He  was  a  Regent  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution  in  1880; 
president  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  of  the  Ameri 
can  Historical  Association,  and  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
Clark  University;  trustee  of  the  Peabody  Museum  of  Archae 
ology  and  of  Leicester  Academy;  a  member  of  the  Massa 
chusetts  Historical  Society,  of  the  American  Historical  Society, 
of  the  Historic-Genealogical  Society,  and  of  the  Virginia  His 
torical  Society;  fellow  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts 
and  Sciences,  and  corresponding  member  of  the  Brooklyn 
Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  and  a  trustee  of  the  Peabody 
Fund. 

He  received  the  degree  of  doctor  of  laws  from  William 
and  Mary,  Amherst,  Yale,  Harvard,  and  Dartmouth  colleges. 
These  many  positions  of  trust  and  honor  conferred  upon 
and  held  by  him  illustrate  the  diversity  of  his  pursuits  and 
attainments. 

In  the  Forty-first  Congress  Mr.  HOAR  supported  Senator 
Simmer  in  his  opposition  to  President  Grant's  Santo  Domingo 
proposal,  and  was  recognized  as  a  formidable  antagonist  in 
debate. 

In  the  Forty-second  Congress  Mr.  HOAR,  in  the  contested- 
election    cases   in    the   House,   was    regarded   as   an   impartial 
S.  Doc.  201,  58-3 4 


50  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

judge   and   honored   as  such   by   Republicans   and   Democrats 
alike. 

My  personal  acquaintance  with  Mr.  HOAR  began  in  the 
Forty-fourth  Congress,  when  he  was  one  of  the  managers  on 
the  part  of  the  House  in  the  Belknap  impeachment  trial.  I 
shall  never  forget  his  denunciation  of  corruption  and  bribery 
in  office,  so  forcibly  and  fearlessly  expressed  in  the  following 
language  in  his  pleading  before  the  impeachment  court  (I 
quote  from  his  Autobiography  of  Seventy  Years): 

I  said  a  little  while  ago  that  the  Constitution  had  no  safeguards  to 
throw  away.  You  will  judge  wThether  the  public  events  of  to-day 
admonish  us  to  look  well  to  all  our  securities  to  prevent  or  power  to  pun 
ish  the  great  guilt  of  corruption  in  office.  We  must  not  confound  idle 
clamor  with  public  opinion,  or  accept  the  accusations  of  scandal  and  malice 
instead  of  proof;  but  we  shall  make  a  worse  mistake  if,  because  of  the 
multitude  of  false  and  groundless  charges  against  men  in  high  office,  we 
fail  to  redress  substantial  grievances  or  to  deal  with  cases  of  actual  guilt. 
The  worst  evil  resulting  from  the  indiscriminate  attack  of  an  unscrupulous 
press  upon  men  in  public  station  is  not  that  innocence  suffers,  but  that 
crime  escapes.  Let  scandal  and  malice  be  encountered  by  pure  and  stain 
less  lives.  Let  corruption  and  bribery  meet  their  lawful  punishment. 

My  own  public  life  has  been  a  very  brief  and  insignificant  one,  extend 
ing  little  beyond  the  duration  of  a  single  term  of  Senatorial  office;  but  in 
that  brief  period  I  have  seen  five  judges  of  a  high  court  of  the  United 
States  driven  from  office  by  threats  of  impeachment  for  maladministra 
tion.  I  have  heard  the  taunt,  from  friendliest  lips,  that  when  the  United 
States  presented  herself  in  the  East  to  take  part  with  the  civilized  world 
in  generous  competition  in  the  arts  of  life  the  only  product  of  her  institu 
tions  in  which  she  surpassed  all  others  beyond  question  was  her  corrup 
tion.  I  have  seen,  in  the  State  in  the  Union  foremost  in  power  and  wealth, 
four  judges  of  her  courts  impeached  for  corruption  and  the  political  admin 
istration  of  her  chief  city  become  a  disgrace  and  a  byword  throughout  the 
world.  I  have  seen  the  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs 
in  the  House,  now  a  distinguished  member  of  this  court,  rise  in  his  place 
and  demand  the  expulsion  of  four  of  his  associates  for  making  sale  of  their 
official  privilege  of  selecting  the  youths  to  be  educated  at  our  great  mili 
tary  school.  When  the  greatest  railroad  of  the  world,  binding  together 
the  continent  and  uniting  two  great  seas  which  wash  our  shores,  was 
finished,  I  have  seen  our  national  triumph  and  exultation  turned  to  bitter 
ness  and  shame  by  the  unanimous  reports  of  three  committees  of  Con 
gress — two  of  the  House  and  one  here — that  every  step  of  that  mighty 


Address  of  Mr.  Cockrcll,  of  Missouri  51 

enterprise  had  been  taken  in  fraud.  I  have  heard  in  highest  places  the 
shameless  doctrine  avowed  by  men  grown  old  in  public  office  that  the  true 
way  by  which  jxnver  should  be  gained  in  the  Republic  is  to  bribe  the 
people  with  the  offices  created  for  their  service,  and  the  true  end  for  which 
it  should  be  used  when  gained  is  the  promotion  of  selfish  ambition  and 
the  gratification  of  personal  revenge.  1  have  heard  that  suspicion  haunts 
the  footsteps  of  the  trusted  companions  of  the  President. 

These  things  have  passed  into  history.  The  Hallam  or  the  Tacitus  or 
the  Sismondi  or  the  Mncaulay  who  writes  the  annals  of  our  time  will 
record  them  with  his  inexorable  pen.  And  now,  when  a  high  Cabinet 
officer,  the  constitutional  adviser  of  the  Executive,  flees  from  office  before 
charges  of  corruption,  shall  the  historian  add  that  the  Senate  treated  the 
demand  of  the  i>eople  for  its  judgment  of  condemnation  as  a  farce,  and 
laid  down  its  high  functions  before  the  sophistries  and  jeers  of  the  crim 
inal  lawyer?  Shall  he  speculate  about  the  petty  political  calculations  as 
to  the  effect  on  one  party  or  the  other  which  induced  his  judges  to  connive 
at  the  escape  of  the  great  public  criminal?  Or,  on  the  other  hand,  shall  he 
close  the  chapter  by  narrating  how  these  things  were  detected,  reformed, 
and  punished  by  constitutional  processes  which  the  wisdom  of  our  fathers 
devised  for  us,  and  the  virtue  and  purity  of  the  people  found  their  vindi 
cation  in  the  justice  of  the  Senate? 

Mr.  HOAR  took  his  seat  in  this  Senate  on  the  5th  clay  of 
March,  1877,  and  was  assigned  to  the  Committee  on  Claims, 
among  other  committee  assignments.  I  served  on  the  Com 
mittee  on  Claims  with  him  for  years.  He  did  his  full  share  of 
the  onerous  duties  of  that  committee,  and  clearly  demonstrated 
his  incorruptible  integrity  and  impartial  judgment. 

\Ve  became  warm  personal  friends,  and  I  admired  and  loved 
him  for  his  many  noble  traits  of  character,  and  realized  that 
whatever  might  be  our  difference  in  views  and  judgment  he 
was  honest,  sincere,  and  conscientious. 

He  rendered  valuable  services  on  many  important  committees 
of  the  Senate,  such  as  the  Committee  on  Claims,  Privileges  and 
Elections,  Judiciary,  Library,  and  others.  He  was,  in  the  full 
est  sense  of  the  term,  a  learned  man,  possessed  of  varied  and 
diversified  attainments,  and  always  a  close  student  of  all  exist 
ing  conditions  of  our  country,  nationally  and  internationally. 
He  was  probably  the  best  informed  on  historical  questions  of 


52  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

any  member  of  this  body.  While  broad  in  his  sympathies,  he 
was  always  alert  in  the  interests  and  reputation  of  his  native 
State.  It  is  related  of  him  that  while  a  Member  of  the  House 
the  late  Hon.  S.  S.  Cox  made  some  reflections  upon  the  Bay 
State  and  expressed  surprise  that  ' '  the  Massachusetts  Hector 
did  not  come  to  the  relief  of  his  beloved  Troy,"  when  Mr.  HOAR 
coolly  replied:  "It  is  not  necessary  for  Hector  to  take  the  field 
when  the  attack  is  led  by  Thersites." 

//  His  writings  are  pleasing  and  interesting.  His  speaking  was 
forcible,  earnest,  and  instructive.  While  Mr.  HOAR  may  not 
be  considered  an  orator  in  the  popular  use  of  that  word,  yet 
many  of  his  speeches,  such  as  those  delivered  by  him  at  the 
centennial  of  the  opening  of  the  great  Northwest,  at  Marietta, 
Ohio;  the  presentation  of  the  statue  of  Daniel  Webster  to  the 
National  Art  Gallery;  the  two  hundred  and  seventj'-fifth  anni 
versary  of  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth;  the  bicen 
tennial  of  Worcester;  the  Belknap  impeachment  trial;  and  many 
others,  will  give  him,  justly,  rank  as  an  orator.,/  He  was  a  true, 
patriotic  American,  a  firm  believer  in  our  dual  systems  of 
Government — National  and  State. 

While  in  some  things  he  was  radical  and  partisan,  he  was  in 
many  things  conservative,  liberal,  and  generous,  and  exhibited 
many  genial  and  attractive  characteristics.  His  long,  eventful, 
and  illustrious  career  in  the  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust 
held  by  him  in  State  and  nation  is  crowned  with  absolute  per 
sonal  and  official  integrity,  and  entitles  him  to  the  rank  of  one 
of  the  greatest  scholars,  orators,  and  statesmen  of  his  native 
State  and  of  our  great  country. 


Address  of  ^fr.  Platt^  of  Connecticut  53 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  PLATT,  OF  CONNECTICUT 

Mr.  PRKSIDKNT:  The  Reverend  Doctor  Kdwards,  preaching 
the  funeral  sermon  of  Senator  HOAR'S  maternal  grandfather, 
Roger  Sherman,  of  Connecticut,  quoted,  as  voicing  public 
sorrow,  the  words  of  David  uttered  upon  the  death  of  Abner, 
"Know  ye  not  that  there  is  a  prince  and  a  great  man  fallen 
this  day  in  Israel?"  These  words  as  fittingly  describe  the 
universal  sentiment  with  which  the  news  of  Senator  HOAR'S 
death  was  received. 

The  most  eloquent  and  comprehensive  review  of  the  life, 
character,  and  services  of  GKORGK  FKISHIK  HOAR  by  the 
Senator  from  Massachusetts  [Mr.  Lodge]  leaves  but  little  to 
be  said.  His  review  is  complete,  his  estimate  true,  his  survey 
exhaustive.  It  has  occurred  to  me,  therefore,  that  I,  who 
esteem  it  a  privilege  to  add  something  by  way  of  affectionate 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  Senator  HOAR,  may  speak  briefly 
of  his  greatness. 

Greatness  is  a  quality  conceded  to  only  few  men;  but  I 
think  no  one,  in  this  country  at  least,  doubts  that  when  Sen 
ator  HOAR  died  a  great  man  passed  beyond  our  ken  to  enter 
upon  the  life  and  activities  of  that  future  of  which  we  know  so 
little,  but  in  which  he  had  undoubting  faith.  It  softens  our 
grief  and  mitigates  our  sense  of  loss  to  believe  that  in  him  the 
mortal  has  put  on  immortality. 

No  question  has  been  more  widely  discussed  by  thinkers, 
essayists,  and  philosophers  than  what  it  is  that  constitutes  true 
greatness;  none  perhaps  upon  which  there  is  wider  divergence 
of  opinion.  \Ve  recognize  human  greatness.  We  may  not 


54  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

define  it;  but  I  think  that  whatever  else  may  be  required  three 
elements  must  exist  without  which  no  one  can  be  said  to  have 
been  a  truly  great  man — namely,  intellectual  power,  intense 
energy,  and,  above  all,  lofty  moral  purpose.  Where  can  the 
man  be  found  who  possessed  in  higher  degree  or  in  whom  were 
more  completely  blended  these  three  essentials  of  greatness 
than  our  lost  brother? 

His  mental  powers  and  activities  were  marvelous;  his  learn 
ing  the  most  profound,  covering  all  fields — literature,  history, 
law,  religion,  poetry — everything  that  mankind  has  thought 
or  felt  or  wrought.  The  classics  were  as  familiar  to  him  as 
the  primer  of  the  schoolboy.  The  great  poems  in  which  the 
noblest  souls  have  found  their  best  expression  were  his  daily 
food.  The  history  of  our  own  race  and  all  races  from  pre 
historic  periods  to  the  immediate  present  he  fully  knew.  It 
was  once  said  of  an  able  Senator  that  he  was  authority  upon 
our  country's  history,  except  that  of  the  last  fifty  years. 
Senator  HOAR  not  only  knew  even-  fact  and  detail  of  our 
history,  but  he  helped  to  make  most  of  it  during  the  past 
half  century.  Books  were  his  constant  companions.  The 
highest  thoughts  of  the  wise  and  great  in  all  times  were  his 
perpetual  stimulus. 

No  man  was  ever  better  equipped  by  scholarship  and  learn 
ing  for  his  life  work.  What  he  had  once  learned  he  could 
instantly  recall  and  use  with  telling  effect.  His  intellect  was 
of  the  highest  order — keen,  analytical,  powerful,  grasping 
every  topic,  overlooking  no  detail,  going  straight  to  the  core 
of  things,  disciplined,  and  untiring.  Intellectually  he  meas 
ured  up  to  the  best. 

When  we  think  of  the  energy  he  brought  to  his  work,  his 
life  seems  to  have  been  modeled  on  the  scriptural  injunction, 
"Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might." 


Address  of  Mr.  Platt,  of  Connecticut  55 

Whatever  task  lie  umlert<x>k  absorl>ed  all  the  energies  and 
jxnvers  of  his  being,  and  to  its  accomplishment  he  gave  of 
his  mind,  his  body,  and  his  soul,  until  it  was  finished.  No 
field  of  inquiry  was  difficult  enough  to  turn  him  back,  no 
question  sufficiently  abstruse  to  deter  him,  no  problem  so 
complicated  as  to  be  left  unsolved.  I  doubt  if  he  ever  really 
knew  an  idle  waking  hour.  How  often  as  we  watched  him 
we  saw  his  lips  moving,  framing  the  words  of  his  unuttered 
thought.  Those  who  knew  him  best  could  not  help  feeling 
that  even  in  his  moments  of  apparent  relaxation  and  good 
fellowship  there  was  going  on  within  him  that  mysterious 
thing  which  we  sometimes  call  "unconscious  cerebration;" 
that  his  mind  was  ever  at  work  solving  the  weightiest  questions. 

Neither  vast  learning,  powerful  intellect,  nor  intense  energy 
can  make  a  man  really  great,  unless  his  life  is  dominated  by 
the  highest  moral  purpose;  and  here,  indeed,  his  nobility  of 
soul  was  most  apparent.  His  ideals  were  lofty.  His  was  a 
spiritual  life.  I  use  that  word,  not  in  a  religious  sense, 
although  he  was  by  nature  religious,  but  in  its  wider  meaning. 
He  lived  for  that  which  was  noble,  pure,  and  uplifting,  rather 
than  for  that  which  was  material  and  self-helping.  His  one 
unvarying  thought  was  to  better  the  world  by  the  enforcement 
of  the  right. 

We  have  heard  sometimes  of  men  who  have  tried  to  guide 
their  lives  according  to  some  selected  motto.  I  remember  to 
have  heard  Senator  HOAR  quote  in  a  speech  in  the  Senate  the 
text,  "Whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever  things  are 
honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever  things  are 
pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of 
good  report,  if  there  be  any  virtue  or  if  there  be  any  praise, 
think  on  these  things."  I  thought  then  that  that  was  the 
motto  upon  which  he  endeavored  to  fashion  his  life.  Idealist, 


56  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

indeed,  he  was,  and  yet  all  his  great  gifts  and  powers  were 
exercised  to  make  his  highest  ideals  the  actualities  of  human 
life.  Others  have  been  great  as  lawyers,  philosophers,  states 
men,  and  as  such  he  excelled,  but  he  was  greatest  of  all  in  his 
humanity.  In  the  following  of  his  high  purposes  he  was 
inflexible.  He  sought  to  know  the  very  right  of  things,  from 
the  advocacy  of  which  no  one  could  turn  or  swerve  him. 
When  he  had  determined  in  his  mind  that  a  certain  course  of 
action  was  right,  he  was  ready  to  surrender  friendships,  asso 
ciations,  and  personal  comfort  in  following  it.  His  convictions 
were  positive.  Anything  once  thought  out  by  him  was 
settled,  and  his  course  inflexibly  defined.  He  might  stand 
alone  in  his  belief,  but  he  never  doubted  himself. 

Such,  feebly  outlined,  I  believe  to  have  been  the  real  ele 
ments  of  his  greatness,  and  I  am  sure  it  was  these  qualities 
which  so  endeared  him  to  his  associates  here  in  the  Senate,  to 
the.  people  of  his  native  State,  and  to.  the  country  at  large. 
L,et  no  one  suppose  that  in  dwelling  upon  these  traits  of  his 
character  I  would  leave  it  to  be  inferred  that  his  nature  was 
stern  or  hard  or  forbidding.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  one  of 
the  sweetest  and  gentlest  souls  that  ever  lived.  Tender  and 
true  as  a  woman,  guileless  as  a  child,  sincere  and  loving  in  his 
friendships,  attractive  in  all  his  social  qualities,  a  man  loving 
and  beloved. 

We  hear  much  of  late  of  the  greatly  lauded,  but  rarely  lived, 
simple  life.  I  think  Senator  HOAR  was  a  perfect  illustration  of 
true  simplicity  in  living.  He  lived  out  his  inward  life.  He 
tried  to  be  in  public  and  on  every  occasion  just  what  he  really 
was  at  heart,  and  this,  as  has  been  recently  emphasized,  is  most 
compatible  with  true  greatness. 

The  occasion  demands  brevity,  but  I  should  sadly  fail  to  do 
justice  to  the  memory  of  Senator  HOAR  if  I  did  not  refer  to  his 


Address  of  Mr.  Watt,  of  Connecticut  57 

intense  patriotism.  His  love  of  country  was  unbounded — it 
was  a  passion.  Its  history  and  its  traditions  were  ingrained  in 
his  very  being  and  l>ecanie  a  part  of  him.  No  love  of  country 
is  complete  that  does  not  include  the  love  of  those  who  have 
heli>ed  to  fashion  it,  who  have  toiled  and  sacrificed  for  it. 
This  is  indeed  the  substratum  of  patriotism.  This  love  is  akin 
to  ancestor  worship.  What  the  fathers  thought,  what  they 
did,  what  they  said,  how  they  fought,  was  to  him  an  inspira 
tion.  That  he  might  follow  in  their  footsteps,  preserve  the 
institutions  they  founded,  pass  on  to  posterity  the  blessings 
they  brought  to  our  people,  was  his  constant  aim.  ICvery  act 
of  his  public  career  was  influenced  by  his  ancestral  love.  To 
carry  on  the  work  begun  at  Plymouth  Rock,  fought  for  at  Hun 
ker  Hill,  crystalli/ed  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
ordained  in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  triumphant 
at  Appomattox,  was  his  life  purpose — his  ever  present  hope. 

Senator  HOAR  was  thirty-five  years  in  Congress,  a  length  of 
service  rarely  exceeded  in  our  history — eight  years  representing 
his  Congressional  district  in  the  House,  twenty-seven  years 
representing  his  State  in  the  Senate.  He  followed  great  Sena 
tors  from  Massachusetts — Choate,  Webster,  Simmer,  Wilson, 
not  to  s]>eak  of  others  justly  entitled  to  be  called  great — but 
the  interests  of  his  State,  its  glory  and  honor,  in  no  wise  suf 
fered  by  the  comparison  of  his  career  with  that  of  the  great 
Senators  who  had  gone  before.  In  his  love  for  his  State,  in  his 
xeal  for  its  welfare,  in  his  devotion  to  the  institutions  of  our 
country,  to  the  love  of  freedom,  to  the  well-being  of  our  people, 
he  was  the  peer  of  any  of  his  great  predecessors. 

The  word  statesman  has  been  belittled  of  late  by  those  who 
have  but  a  poor  comprehension  of  its  meaning.  To  really 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  word  we  must  emphasize  both 
of  the  syllables  which  compose  it.  Senator  HOAR  was  in  the 


58  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

highest  and  truest  sense  a  statesman — a  servant  of  the  State, 
most  truly  a  man.  To  the  State,  in  its  broadest  sense,  he  gave 
ungrudgingly  all  that  was  highest,  noblest,  and  best  in  him  as 
a  man.  We  of  the  Senate,  the  people  of  his  city  and  Common 
wealth,  loved  his  personality,  his  personal  qualities,  but  his 
State  and  the  nation  loved  him  most  because  of  his  zeal  for  the 
public  good,  because  he  was  in  very  truth  and  deed  a  statesman. 
One  single  other  word  and  I  must  conclude.  I  am  profoundly 
impressed  by  the  thought  of  the  influence  that  such  a  man  as 
Senator  HOAR  exercises  on  the  future.  I  am  one  of  those  who 
believe  that  no  thought  conceived  by  the  brain,  no  word  spoken 
by  the  lips,  no  act  performed  by  the  will  has  ever  been  lost  or 
ceases  to  exert  its  influence  upon  mankind.  No  thought,  word, 
or  act  of  the  highest,  the  lowest,  the  richest,  the  poorest,  the 
best,  or  the  worst  of  men  and  women  who  have  lived  on  earth 
since  the  days  when  mankind  became  socially  organized  has 
ever  been  wholly  effaced.  The  world  is  to-day  what  these 
thoughts,  words,  and  deeds  of  all  who  have  gone  before  us  have 
made  it,  and  the  world  of  the  future  will,  in  this  respect,  be  like 
the  world  of  the  present.  Men  die,  but  humanity  lives  on. 
We  say  that  Senator  HOAR  is  dead,  but  what  he  has  done  here 
is  passed  on  to  be  reflected  in  the  life  of  mankind  so  long  as  the 
earth  and  human  life  shall  endure.  Happy  is  the  memory  of 
the  man  who  has  thus  lived  and  worked  and  impressed  himself 
not  only  upon  the  present  but  the  future. 


Address  of  Mr.  Teller,  of  Colorado  59 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  TELLER,  OF  COLORADO 

Mr.  PRKSIDKXT:  My  first  acquaintance  with  the  late  Senator 
HOAR  began  during  the  last  session  of  the  Forty-fourth  Con 
gress.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Electoral  Commission  that 
decided  the  Presidential  contest  between  Hayes  and  Tilden. 
On  the  4th  of  March,  iSyj,  he  became  a  member  of  this  body. 
He  had  been  a  Membgr  of  the  House  of  Representatives  during 
the  Forty-first,  Forty-second,  Forty-third,  and  Forty-fourth 
Congresses.  His  service  in  the  House  of  Representatives  had 
been  conspicuous,  and  he  was  recognized  as  a  worthy  repre 
sentative  of  the  great  State  of  Massachusetts  in  that  body. 
Having  been  a  member  of  the  Electoral  Commission  in  service 
here,  he  naturally  came  in  for  his  share  of  the  criticism  of 
those  who  were  displeased  with  the  finding  of  the  Commission. 
There  was  much  bitterness  and  ill  feeling  on  the  part  of  those 
who  had  supported  Tilden.  The  situation  in  several  of  the 
Southern  States  was  troublesome,  if  not  alarming;  we  were  too 
near  the  close  of  the  great  civil  war  to  allow  that  conservative 
action  that  could  alone  bring  about  peace  l>etween  the  former 
contending  parties.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  Senator  HOAR'S 
entrance  in  this  body  was  at  a  very  important  period  of  our  his 
tory.  Senator  HOAR,  as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Represent 
atives,  had  been  an  active  and  aggressive  force,  exerting  much 
influence  over  his  political  associates,  but  I  believe  all  who 
knew  him  will  agree  that  the  Senate  was  the  proper  place  for 
the  exercise  of  his  great  abilities.  In  this  body  he  found 
opport unities  for  the  display  of  his  talents  that  he  could  not 
find  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  He  met  in  this  Ixxly  the 


60  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

ablest  of  his  political  opponents — men  smarting  under  the  de 
feat  of  1876,  who  could  not  readily  forgive  him  for  the  part  he 
had  taken  in  the  final  settlement  of  that  contest. 

The  President  called  an  extra  session  of  Congress  to  meet  in 
October.  The  membership  of  that  Congress  is  somewhat  re 
markable.  Among  the  Republicans  were  James  G.  Elaine, 
George  F.  Bdmunds,  Justin  S.  Morrill,  Henry  L.  Dawes,  Ros- 
coe  Conkling,  Timothy  O.  Howe,  Senator  HOAR,  John  J. 
Ingalls,  Hannibal  Hamlin,  William  Windom,  Samuel  J.  R. 
McMillan,  of  Minnesota;  Henry  B.  Anthony;  Ambrose  E. 
Burnside,  of  Rhode  Island;  S.  J.  Kirkwood,  of  Iowa;  Stanley 
Matthews,  of  Ohio;  Aaron  A.  Sargent  and  Xewton  Booth,  of 
California;  O.  'P.  Morton;  John  P.  Jones;  the  senior  Senator 
from  Iowa,  Mr.  Allison,  and  the  senior  Senator  from  Oregon, 
Mr.  Mitchell. 

Among  the  Democrats  were  Allen  G.  Thurman,  of  Ohio; 
,  Thomas  F.  Bayard  and  Kli  Saulsbury,  of  Delaware;  Francis 
Kernan,  of  New  York;  James  B.  Beck,  of  Kentucky;  Iv.  Q.  C. 
L,amar,  of  Mississippi;  John  T.  Morgan,  of  Alabama:  Benja 
min  Hill,  of  Georgia;  I.  G.  Harris,  of  Tennessee;  Joseph  E. 
McDonald,  of  Indiana;  Henry  G.  Davis,  of  West  Virginia;  the 
senior  Senator  from  Missouri,  Mr.  Cockrell;  T.  F.  Randolph, 
of  Xew  Jersey;  W.  Pinkney  Whyte,  of  Maryland,  and  David 
Davis,  of  Illinois,  just  from  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States,  who,  while  calling  himself  an  independent,  was,  in 
fact,  a  Democrat. 

The  special  session  commencing  on  October  15,  1877,  was 
an  unusually  exciting  one,  and  the  bitterness  growing  out  of 
the  decision  of  the  Electoral  Commission  rather  increased 
than  decreased  during  the  session.  The  Senator's  command 
ing  position  in  the  House  of  Representatives  enabled  him  to 
take  an  active  part  in  the  business  before  the  Senate,  and  his 


Address  of  Mr.  Teller,  of  Colorado  61 

jxxsition  on  the  Electoral  Commission  made  him  the  special 
target  of  attack  from  his  political  opponents.  Senator  HOAR 
did  not  attempt  to  explain  his  action  on  the  Commission,  but 
met  all  attacks  with  spirit  and  in  a  way  to  command  the 
respect  of  his  opponents. 

We  know  that  the  Senate  does  not  readily  concede  to  new 
comers  any  more  than  they  show  themselves  capable  of  win 
ning:.  It  did  not  take  long  for  Senator  HOAR  to  win  his  way 
to  the  front  rank  of  the  able  men  in  the  Senate,  and  we  all 
know  that  he  maintained  that  rank  to  the  day  of  his  last 
services  in  this  body.  While  he  was  positive  in  his  ideas  and 
pressed  the  measures  that  he  favored  with  intelligence  and  xeal, 
he  was  ever  tolerant  toward  those  who  he,  believed  differed 
with  him  from  conviction. 

//I  recall  that  while  he  was  the  chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Privileges  and  Klections  the  House  of  Representatives  sent  to 
us  a  bill  to  regulate  Federal  elections,  which  was  referred  to 
that  committee.  I  was  at  the  time  a  member  of  that  com 
mittee,  and  when  we  came  to  consider  the  measure  I  could  not 
agree  with  my  Republican  colleagues.  While  I  could  see  the 
evils  complained  of,  I  could  not  rid  myself  of  the  idea  that  it 
was  a  dangerous  bill,  and  very  likely  to  make  matters  worse 
rather  than  better.  Senator  HOAR  appealed  to  me  to  allow  a 
favorable  report  to  be  made.  I  agreed  that  he  might  report 
the  bill  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  majority  of  the 
Republican  members,  but  stated  that  I  could  not  support  the 
bill.  The  bill,  after  considerable  delay,  came  before  the  Senate 
as  a  special  order.  It  was  extensively  debated  on  both  sides  of 
the  Chamber,  but  was  finally  laid  aside  and  lost  its  place  by  the 
taking  up  of  another  bill.  This  change  was  accomplished  by 
the  vote  of  all  the  Democrats  and  six  Republicans,  the  vote 
l)eing  35  to  34.  I  do  not  recall  the  defeat  of  any  measure  that 


62  Life  and  Character  of  George  P.  Hoar 

created  more  feeling  than  the  displacement  of  that  bill.  The 
recalcitrant  Republicans  were  severely  blamed,  and  many  hard 
things  said  of  those  who  failed  to  support  the  bill. 

Soon  after  the  displacement  of  that  bill  a  conference  of 
Republican  Senators  was  called  at  the  home  of  a  Republican 
Senator  to  consider  whether  the  bill  should  be  abandoned  or 
an  effort  made  to  pass  it.  I  have  attended  many  party  con 
ferences,  but  in  no  one,  either  before  or  since  that  confer 
ence,  have  I  ever  seen  .so  much  bitterness  on  the  part  of  the 
defeated  element.  Speeches  were  made  of  an  angry  character, 
and  the  recalcitrant  Republicans  were  unmercifully  chastised. 
The  offending  Senators  were  quick  to  respond  in  the  spirit 
of  their  accusers.  Senator  HOAR  had  taken  but  little  part 
in  the  discussion;  but  when  apparently  the  discussion  was 
about  to  close  he  took  the  floor.  We  all  knew  how  dear 
the  bill  was  to  him  and  how  arduously  he  had  labored  to 
secure  its  passage.  He  told  us  how  important  he  thought 
the  bill;  he  spoke  of  the  abuse  it  was  intended  to  prevent, 
and  the  obligations  on  Congress  to  secure  by  law  some  way 
to  destroy  existing  abuses.  He  frankly  admitted  that  he  had 
feared  the  bill  if  it  became  a  law  might  be  abused  and  harm 
done  under  the  pretense  of  securing  a  fair  election;  he 
declared  he  had  weighed  this  matter  well  and  was  alive  to 
that  danger,  but  he  felt  that  it  was  his  duty  to  support  the 
bill.  He  was  calm  and  dispassionate — I  never  saw  him  more 
so — but  we  could  all  see  that  he  was  greatly  distressed  by  the 
failure  of  the  measure.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  the 
Republican  Senators  who  had  opposed  the  bill.  He  declared 
that  every  Senator  must  act  from  his  own  sense  of  justice, 
and  said  there  was  no  reason  for  harsh  words  or  complaint, 
adding  that  he  did  not  want  anyone  to  violate  his  ideas  of 


Address  of  ^fr.  Teller,  of  Colorado  63 

justice.      If   Senators  believed  the  bill  to  be  bad  it  was  their 
duty  to  defeat  it  by  all  fair  means. 

His  speech  acted  like  a  charm  on  the  discordant  elements 
of  the  meeting.  The  conference  dissolved  without  taking  a 
vote,  and  that  was  the  death  of  the  so-called  "force  bill." 

If  anything  could  have  induced  me  to  vote  for  the  bill,  it 
was  the  manner  the  offending  Senators  were  treated  by 
Senator  HOAK.  I  had  known  for  years  that  he  was  great; 
then  I  knew  he  was  good.  The  Senator  conceded  to  his 
opponents  all  that  he  demanded  for  himself,  and  that  was 
freedom  of  thought  and  the  right  to  follow  his  conscience, 
even  against  the  dictates  of  a  caucus.  Mr.  President,  one 
who  can  face  defeat,  see  his  plans  frustrated,  when  he  feels 
sure  they  are  right,  and  accept  such  defeat  without  bitterness 
or  hate,  may  well  be  called  great. 

Senator  HOAR  was  a  partisan;  lie  could  not  be  otherwise,  for 
he  was  a  man  of  positive  convictions.  He  formed  his  opinion 
after  careful  study  and  deliberate  thought,  but  his  partisanship; 
did  not  lead  him  to  accept  as  right  whatever  had  the  support  of/' 
his  party.  He  considered  and  determined  for  himself,  and  if 
his  judgment  did  not  approve  of  a  measure  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  oppose  it,  even  when  prepared  and  supported  by  his  party. 
He  was  opposed  to  the  Spanish  treaty  made  at  the  close  of  the 
Spanish  war.  He  did  not  hesitate  to  part  with  his  political 
friends  and  oppose  ratification,  and  later,  when  the  policy  of 
his  party  as  to  the  control  and  management  of  the  newly 
acquired  islands  appeared  to  him  to  be  wrong,  he  criticised  it 
in  strong  terms.  While  his  attitude  on  that  question  brought 
on  him  severe  criticism  of  his  party  supporters,  he  did  not 
waver  in  his  opposition,  and  his  attitude  on  that  question  vin- 
.dicated  his  life  record  as  the  opponent  of  whatever  he  l>elieved 


64  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

to  be  wrong.  Those  who  believed  with  him,  and  those  who  did 
not,  realized  that  his  attitude  was  such  as  might  be  expected  of 
him,  and  could  but  honor  him  for  it. 

He  was  a  scholar,  a  constitutional  lawyer,  a  patriot,  and  a 
statesman.  He  was  a  lover  of  freedom,  not  for  himself  alone 
or  his  race  alone,  but  for  all  mankind.  He  hated  wrong  and 
loved  justice,  and  to  the  extent  of  his  capacities  helped  the 
unfortunate  without  distinction  of  race. 

/  Massachusetts  has  sent  here  some  of  the  most  notable  mem 
bers  of  this  body.  Some  may  have  attained  a  greater  fame 
than  he,  but  I  am  sure  none  were  superior  to  him  in  all  thoi,e 
noble  qualities  that  make  a  great  Senator.  Massachusetts  will 
suffer  through  his  death,  but  not  alone,  for  all  lovers  of  a  clean, 
pure  life  throughout  the  length  of  our  land  will  mourn  the 
death  of  this  ideal  American  Senator.  , 


Address  of  Mr.  Citllotn,  of  Illinois  65 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  CULLOM,  OF  ILLINOIS 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  This  day  has  l>een  set  apart  that  we  may 
pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  who  ever  occupied  a  seat  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States — GEORGK  FKISBIE  HOAR,  of  Massachusetts. 

Everywhere  in  this  great  nation  the  people  are  familiar  with 
the  name  of  GEORGE  F.  HOAR.  Beloved  by  many,  respected 
by  all,  Senator  HOAR,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was  one  of  the 
marked  figures  in  American  public  life. 

Full  of  years  and  of  honors  he  passed  away,  and  his  great 
public  career  is  well  calculated  to  challenge  the  admiration  and 
respect  of  his  countrymen. 

There  is  a  lesson  to  IK-  learned  from  the  life  of  a  great  man, 
and  it  is  interesting  to  know  the  lesson  which  Senator  HOAR 
learned  from  his  own  life. 

Looking  back,  seeing  in  retrospect  his  long  life,  extending 
almost  fourscore  years,  in  the  twilight  of  his  career,  he  rejieats 
these  words: 

The  lesson  which  I  have  learned  in  life,  which  is  impressed  on  me  daily 
and  more  deeply  as  I  grow  old,  is  the  lesson  of  good  will  and  good  hope. 
I  l>elieve  that  to-day  is  letter  than  yesterday,  and  that  to-morrow  will  he 
better  than  to-day.  I  believe  that,  in  spite  of  so  many  errors  and  wrongs 
and  even  crimes,  my  countrymen  of  all  classes  desire  what  is  good  and  not 
what  is  evil. 

GEORGE  F.  HOAR  was  a  religious  man;  two  of  the  essentials 
of  his  religion  were  "good  will,  good  hope,"  based  on  that 
passage  in  scripture  which,  as  he  says,  sums  up  the  whole 
destiny  of  man,  "and  now  abideth  faith,  hope,  and  charity— 
these  three." 

vS.  Doc.  201,  58-3 5 


66  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Thirty-six  years  ago,  when  we  were  both  young  men,  I 
served  with  Senator  HOAR  in  the  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  Congress.  For  more  than  twenty-one  years  I  had  the  honor 
of  occupying  a  seat  near  him  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States. 
For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  I  knew  him  somewhat 
intimately. 

He  was  a  liberal,  broad-minded  man.  He  had  few,  if  any, 
of  the  common  prejudices  so  often  associated  with  party,  reli 
gion,  country,  or  sectionalism. 

A  true  Republican  from  the  birth  of  that  party,  of  which  he 
was  an  honored  member  from  the  beginning  of  the  party  until 
his  death,  he  used  the  following  language: 

I  believe  our  countrymen  of  the  other  party,  in  spite  of  what  we  deem 
their  errors,  would  take  the  Republic  and  bear  on  the  flag  to  liberty  and 
glory. 

Descending  from  a  long  line  of  Protestant  ancestors,  living  in 
New  England,  the  home  of  the  Puritan,  he  said: 

I  believe  if  every  Protestant  were  stricken  down  by  a  lightning  stroke, 
that  our  brethren  of  the  Catholic  faith  would  still  carry  on  the  Republic 
in  the  spirit  of  true  and  liberal  freedom. 

Aii  American,  whose  grandfather  and  two  great-grandfathers 
fought  in  the  Revolution,  it  would  not  be  surprising  if  he  dis 
trusted  men  of  foreign  birth  who  have  come  to  this  country, 
but  he  did  not.  His  speeches  and  writings  give  absolute  evi 
dence  of  his  faith  in  the  patriotism  and  love  of  our  country  in 
the  hearts  of  foreigners  who  come  to  America  and  become  citi 
zens  of  the  United  States. 

He  was  a  Northerner  by  birth  and  by  education,  in  the  full 
vigor  of  manhood  during  the  terrible  struggle  between  the 
North  and  South,  intensely  loyal  to  the  North,  but  he  still  had 
faith  in  the  South,  and  believed  that  "if  every  man  in  the  North 
were  to  die  the  South  would  take  up  the  country  and  bear  it  on 
to  the  achievement  of  its  lofty  destiny." 


Address  of  Mr.  Cttllom,  of  Illinois  67 

Senator  HOAR  was  an  opponent  of  stringent  immigration^ 
laws,  and  particularly  was  he  opposed  to  our  Chinese-exclusion/ 
policy.  He  l>elieved  that  this  country  was  large  enough  and, 
great  enough  to  afford  a  haven  of  refuge  for  the  oppressed, 
people  of  all  the  world. 

It  was  these  characteristics  which  so  endeared  Senator  HOAR 
to  the  great  majority  of  the  people  of  this  nation. 

While  Senator  HOAR  was  a  literal  man,  respecting  the  views 
of  other  men  and  of  his  party,  yet  he  was  too  strong  intellec 
tually,  too  true  to  his  own  convictions,  to  be  a  follower  of  any 
man  or  class  of  men.  When  he  had  fully  made  up  his  mind  on 
any  question,  no  power  could  move  him.  The  pressure  of  party 
and  of  Administration  were  useless.  He  differed  with  his  party 
on  many  important  questions,  but  on  that  account  he  did  not 
feel  it  to  be  his  duty  to  abandon  the  party  with  which  he  had 
been  so  long  associated.  Rather  did  he  remain  in  the  party 
and  endeavor  to  bring  it  to  his  views,  and  sometimes  he  suc 
ceeded  in  this. 

He  opposed  with  all  his  power  of  eloquence  and  argument 
the  retention  of  the  Philippine  Islands  and  the  expansion, 
policy  of  his  party.  But  he  retained  an  affectionate  regard 
for  the  late  President  McKinley,  who  fully  reciprocated  this 
feeling. 

All  the  power  of  party  could  not  induce  Senator  HOAR  to 
support  a  policy  or  cast  a  vote  that  his  conscience  did  not 
fully  approve. 

While  Senator  HOAR  was  liberal  and  kindly  toward  other; 
men,  yet,  like  all  strong-minded  men,  he  had  intense  "likes" 
and  intense  "dislikes"  for  particular  individuals.  He  never 
lost  his  affection  for  President  McKinley,  with  whom  he  dif- 
ft;red  on  many  questions,  or  his  dislike  of  the  late  General 
Butler. 


68  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Senator  HOAR  was  not  a  politician  in  the  usual  sense  of  that 
term.  He  knew  little  of  practical  politics  and,  apparently, 
cared  less.  In  his  case  office  sought  the  man.  I  have  been 
told  that  he  never  sought  or  asked  for  public  office. 

He  was  an  active  and  prominent  Member  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  recognized  for  his  legal  ability  and  rendering 
important  service  on  committees  and  on  the  floor. 

In  the  Senate  he  has  been  recognized  as  an  able  lawyer  and 
statesman,  interested  in  all  important  legislation  and  taking  a 
prominent  part  in  the  discussion  and  disposition  of  public 
questions.  His  committee  service  was  confined  principally  to 
the  two  law  committees  of  the  Senate — the  Judiciary  and 
Privileges  and  Elections.  Senator  HOAR  was  a  thorough  law 
yer,  loving  his  profession,  which,  it  might  be  said,  he  inherited, 
his  father  being  a  well-known  lawyer  in  Massachusetts,  a  State 
noted  for  its  great  lawyers  and  jurists.  His  brother  was  the 
distinguished  Attorney- General  in  the  Cabinet  of  President 
Grant. 

There  were  few  more  cultivated  men  in  public  life  than 
Senator  HOAR.  He  was  not  a  self-made  man  in  the  sense 
that  Lincoln  was.  He  had  advantages  which  Lincoln  and 
some  of  the  great  men  of  this  country  did  not  have.  He  was 
a  member  of  an  old  and  well-known  New  England  family. 
He  received  a  classical  education  in  the  best  college  in  the 
United  States.  His  early  life  was  spent  among  highly  culti 
vated  people.  He  knew  our  greatest  poets  and  men  of  letters — 
Longfellow,  Whittier,  Emerson,  Thoreau,  Lowell,  and  Haw 
thorne. 

He  was  a  student  all  his  life,  daily  adding  to  his  great 
store  of  learning.  He  never  seemed  to  forget  his  early  clas 
sical  training,  and  was  ever  ready  in  debate  and  in  his  writ 
ings  with  an  apt  Latin  or  Greek  quotation  to  illustrate  a 
point. 


Address  of  Afr.  Cnllom,  of  Illinois  69 

Senator  HOAR  was  an  able  debater — an  effective  and  forceful 
speaker — having  great  command  of  language. 

Senator  HOAR  was  a  splendid  writer.  Had  his  time  been 
devoted  to  literature  rather  than  to  law  and  public  office,  lie 
would  have  been  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  letters  in  this 
country.  His  autobiography  is  a  well-written  and  interesting 
history  of  the  United  States  for  the  past  seventy  years, 
written  by  one  who  had  a  prominent  part  in  public  affairs 
since  1869.  From  a  literary  standpoint  parts  of  that  auto 
biography  have  hardly  been  surpassed.  His  description  of 
Kdward  Everett,  the  orator,  is  particularly  fine. 

He  was  very  often,  in  the  press  of  the  United  States  and 
among  the  people,  descriljed  as  the  "  Grand  Old  Man  of 
America."  And  in  many  respects  Senator  HOAR  did  resem 
ble  that  great  British  statesman,  the  "Grand  Old  Man  of 
England,"  William  Ewart  Gladstone,  whose  long  parliamen 
tary  career  extended  for  more  than  sixty  years.  Mr.  HOAR'S 
public  career  was  not  so  long  as  that  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  but 
it  was  among  the  longest  of  our  American  statesmen. 

Like  Mr.  Gladstone,  Mr.  HOAR  had  all  the  advantages  of 
a  splendid  education,  and  was  the  man  of  letters  whose  nat 
ural  taste  would  have  inclined  him  to  literature  rather  than 
jx)litics.  Like  Mr.  Gladstone,  he  was  not  bound  by  the 
dictates  of  party,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  do  what  was  deemed 
to  be  right  in  public  affairs,  regardless  of  what  party  policies 
dictated.  Like  Mr.  Gladstone,  he  stood  for  economy  and 
honesty  in  public  office.  In  religion  Mr.  HOAR  was  not  as 
orthodox  as  Mr.  Gladstone,  but  he  had  as  firm  and  true  a 
belief  in  an  Overruling  Providence,  in  a  hereafter.  Like  Mr. 
Gladstone,  he  was  a  Christian  statesman,  a  lover  of  peace, 
the  friend  of  the  oppressed  in  all  lands. 

GEORGE  F.  HOAR  was  more  nearly  the  Gladstone  of 
America  than  any  of  our  statesmen  of  recent  times. 


jo  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

William  Ewart  Gladstone,  of  Great  Britain,  and  GEORGE 
FRISBIE  HOAR,  of  the  United  States,  lived  during  the  same 
period,  and  died  respected  and  mourned  by  their  countrymen. 

Massachusetts  has  reason  to  be  proud  of  her  great  men.  No 
State  in  the  Union  has  given  to  the  country  a  larger  number 
of  great  statesmen  and  great  jurists  or  so  many  famed  men  of 
letters. 

Her  many  famous  men  of  Continental  days  were  followed 
by  such  men  as  Webster,  Choate,  Sumner,  Everett,  Gushing, 
and  Wilson.  These  are  men  of  whom  any  nation  might  well 
be  proud. 

GEORGE  F.  HOAR  was  of  the  type  of  our  early  American 
statesmen,  of  the  fathers,  the  signers  of  the  Constitution,  and 
was  the  worthy  successor  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  of 
Adams,  Webster,  Choate,  and  Sumner. 

Mr.  President,  while  we  shall  not  see  again  in  this  Senate 
his  kindly  and  genial  face,  yet  his  example  and  burning  words 
uttered  here  and  elsewhere  on  important  questions  will  con 
tinue  to  be  a  living  force  to  guide  us  in  the  discharge  of  our 
great  duties  in  the  interests  of  the  country. 

Mr.  President,  in  concluding  I  may  be  permitted  to  quote 
the  closing  paragraph  of  the  eulogy  by  William  H.  Seward  in 
memory  of  Henry  Clay. 

His  remarks  are  peculiarly  applicable  on  this  occasion.  He 
said: 

His  example  remains  for  our  instruction.  His  genius  has  passed  to  the 
realms  of  life,  but  his  virtues  still  live  here  for  our  emulation.  With 
them  there  will  remain  also  the  protection  and  favor  of  the  Most  High,  if 
by  the  practice  of  justice  and  maintenance  of  freedom  we  shall  deserve 
them.  L,et,  then,  the  bier  pass  on.  We  will  follow  with  sorrow,  but  not 
without  hope,  the  reverent  form  that  it  bears  to  its  final  resting  place;  and 
then,  when  the  grave  opens  at  our  feet  to  receive  so  estimable  a  treasure, 
we  will  invoke  the  God  of  our  fathers  to  send  us  new  guides  like  him  that 
is  now  withdrawn  and  give  us  wisdom  to  obey  their  instructions. 


Address  of  Mr,  Daniel,  of  I  'irginia 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  DANIEL,  OF  VIRGINIA 

Mr.  PRESIDENT  :  A  great  man  has  passed.  He  filled  the 
place  once  occupied  by  Webster,  by  Choate,  by  Winthrop,  by 
Sumner ;  and  he  stood  up  in  it  in  full  stature.  Worthy  suc 
cessors  will  fill  that  place,  but  when  the  Dictator  of  Events 
removed  from  it  forever  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR,  the  senior 
Senator  from  Massachusetts,  it  seemed  rather  like  the  passing 
of  an  era  than  the  departure  of  a  man. 

No  constituent  vote  recalled  him  from  his  worthy  and  accept 
able  services.  Xo  constitutional  limit  exhausted  his  term.  No 
design  of  man  and  no  accident  of  chance  snapped  the  thread 
of  his  existence.  In  the  fullness  of  years  Time  wrote  "the 
end ' '  to  the  book  of  his  deeds  and  his  thoughts. 

He  was  well-nigh  80  years  of  age.  He  had  heard  the 
whispers  of  the  low  waves  that  played  on  the  beach  of  the 
mighty  ocean  that  has  not  known  a  returning  sail. 

A  little  over  a  year  before  his  death  he  spoke  of  the  death  of 
a  lifetime  friend  who  had  gone  before  him  :  ' '  The  friend  of  im 
mature  manhood,  the  friend  of  my  mature  age,  almost  the  last 
of  them,  has  gone  to  his  honored  grave.  This,"  said  he  "is 
what  makes  dying  to  an  old  man.  It  is  not  that  you  grow 
blind  or  deaf  or  halt  or  lame ;  it  is  not  that  you  lay  down  this 
frail  tenement  in  which  we  walk.  When  the  rich  music  of  the 
voices  we  love  is  silent,  it  is  well  that  the  ear  grows  deaf. 
When  the  faces  that  were  our  delight  have  disappeared,  it  is 
well  that  the  eyes  grow  blind.  It  is  this  losing  that  is  true 
dying. ' ' 


72  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

I  shall  not  repeat  the  details  of  his  long  career,  which  have 
been  better  told  by  others  here,  but  say  a  few  things  which 
struck  me  concerning  him.  The  people  of  my  State,  also 
their  representatives  here,  had  a  great  respect  and  liking  for 
him,  no  matter  how  much  they  had  differed  from  him.  It  was 
because  they  saw  in  him  the  man  of  principle  and  honor,  the 
patriot  who  put  his  country  first  in  his  affections,  and  because 
they  also  recognized  his  possession  of  a  benevolent  and  friendly 
heart  that  played  like  sunshine  over  the  austerities  of  principle 
and  that  lent  even  to  them  its  charms. 

I  have  called  Senator  HOAR  a  great  man.  He  is  entitled 
to  rank  in  that  category.  It  is  only  the  honest  fact  that  I 
recite.  No  man  is  great  save  by  comparison  and  contrast 
with  his  fellows.  If  all  the  intellects  of  all  the  great  thinkers 
of  the  world  for  all  time  were  put  together,  they  wrould  form 
but  an  infinitesimal  atom  of  the  infinite  wisdom  that  rules 
the  universe. 

Senator  HOAR  was  a  tall  and  stately,  yea,  an  illustrious, 
figure  among  the  foremost  men  of  his  day  and  generation, 
and  in  many  aspects  none  were  his  superiors.  He  was  great 
in  his  devotion  and  service  to  the  paramount  ideals  of  his 
manhood.  He  was  great  in  his  integrity  to  the  principles 
which  he  professed.^;-  He  loved  language,  the  greatest  of  all 
instrumentalities  for  the  communication  of  thought.  He  loved 
letters,  and  the  refinements  of  thought  which  they  alone  can 
give.  He  was  saturated  with  the  most  profound  reflections 
and  utterances  of  the  greatest  speakers,  poets,  and  thinkers. 
He  painted  many  a  picture  which  enchained  the  gaze  of  the 
lover  of  the  true,  the  beautiful,  and  the  good.  His  tongue 
spoke  many  a  sentence  which  aroused  the  spirit  of  just  reflec 
tion  and  of  action  and  fixed  it  in  firm  resolve  and  elevated 
the  mind  to  a  higher  plane  of  thinking.  He  was  a  great 


Address  of  Afr.  Dante/,  of  I  'irginia  73 

lawyer;  he  dealt  mostly  with  the  great  underlying  principles 
which  run  their  root  into  natural  law;  he  loved  its  logic  and 
its  philosophies,  and  the  greater  the  occasion  that  invoked  the 
play  of  his  faculties  the  greater  would  he  have  appeared  in 
their  exercise. 

Whether  in  current  debate  or  in  a  more  stately  and  formal 
occasion,  his  ability  as  an  orator  was  always  conspicuous.  His 
eloquence  was  attuned  to  a  high  key  and  found  expression 
in  clear  and  sonorous  notes.  He  left  no  doubt  upon  the  minds 
of  his  hearers  as  to  the  earnestness  of  his  convictions,  as  to 
the  power  of  his  logic,  or  as  to  the  charm  of  his  speech.  He- 
was,  in  a  long  career,  the  colleague  of  many  of  the  brightest 
intellects  and  most  powerful  disputants  that  ever  shone  in 
public  discussions,  and  he  suffered  by  comparison  with  none  of 
them.  He  drew  from  poetry  and  from  art,  as  well  as  from, 
history,  the  fine  raiments  of  his  discourses.  Some  of  them, 
like  the  armor  of  great  knights  who  have  gone,  will  be  pre 
served  while  memory  keeps  records  of  battles  that  will  be 
fought  no  more.  But  many  of  them  are  more  than  the  obso 
lete  armor  of  past  conflicts  and  of  departed  men;  they  are 
wellsprings  of  wisdom  and  of  refreshment,  to  which  passing 
generations  will  continually  repair  for  that  feast  of  reason  and 
that  flow  of  soul  which  are  to  be  found  in  communion  with 
great  minds  and  great  hearts. 

Senator  HOAR  brought  with  him  to  the  Senate  a  keen  sense 
of  the  exalted  station  in  our  Government  that  a  Senator  occu 
pies.  That  sense  was  quick  in  his  breast  during  all  of  his 
long  ser\*ice.  and  he  preserved  it  without  ever  doing  anything 
to  lower  the  dignity  of  his  office.  It  was  once  known  that  he 
had  been  offered  the  appointment  by  the  President  as  Ambas 
sador  to  Great  Britain,  and  in  a  friendly  way  I  expressed  to 
him  courteous  personal  congratulation.  His  reply  was  that  a 


74  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Senator  from  the  old  historic  State  of  Massachusetts,  honoring 
my  own  State  of  Virginia  by  associating  it  in  the  same  con 
nection,  could  not  be  promoted  by  any  other  office,  great  as  he 
knew  was  the  one  tendered  to  him,  and  as  much  as  he  appre 
ciated  the  honor  of  having  his  name  so  mentioned.  The  senti 
ment  was  worthy  of  him  and  of  the  great  State  which  he 
loved  and  served  so  well.  He  felt  and  often  expressed  his 
conviction  that  no  Senator  should  receive  in  his  own  person 
any  appointment,  employment,  or  emolument  from  Executive 
authority  while  still  exercising  the  Senatorial  office.  He  con 
sidered  it  essential  to  the  dignity  and  independence  of  the 
Senate  that  a  Senator  be  a  Senator  only.  He  believed  that  a 
Senator  should  owe  110  personal  obligation  to  any  sources  of 
power  saving  alone  those  which  gave  him  the  title  and  place 
of  Senator  and  that  fixed  his  duties. 

As  a  member  of  a  great  co-ordinate  branch  of  the  Congress, 
as  a  judge  in  a  great  court  that  has  had  and  may  at  any  time 
have  the  President  or  other  high  officer  at  its  bar  to  answer 
in  judgment,  and  as  an  executive  agent  to  share  with  the 
President  himself  the  power  of  appointment,  he  did  not  believe 
it  compatible  with  those  relations  to  become  the  recipient  of 
personal  favor  from  any  Executive  authority. 

This  was,  in  my  humble  opinion,  a  just  and  true  conception 
of  the  Senatorial  office  which  he  filled  so  well;  and  I  rejoiced 
to  hear  him  express  a  view  which  I  deemed  so  worthy.  l,et 
me  remark,  however,  upon  the  gentleness  as  well  as  upon  the 
emphasis  and  clearness  of  his  opinion.  He  indulged  in  no 
animadversion  upon  men  who  had  differed  with  him  about 
that  matter  and  had  set  a  different  example.  In  his  autobi 
ography  there  are  some  \vise  reflections  kindred  to  such  as 
ruled  him  in  opinion  as  to  others  on  this  matter,  and  his  mind 
upon  differences  between  men  of  equal  honor  and  conscience. 


Address  of  Mr.  Daniel,  of  \  'irginia  75 

It  is  a  remarkable  truth — 
He  says — 

that  impresses  itself  upon  me  more  and  more  the  longer  I  live,  that 
men  who  are  perfectly  sincere  and  patriotic  may  differ  from  each 
other  on  what  seems  the  greatest  principles  of  legislation,  and  yet  lx>th 
sides  be  conscientious  and  patriotic.  There  is  hardly  a  political  question 
among  the  great  questions  that  have  interested  the  American  people 
for  the  last  few  centuries  upon  which  we  did  not  differ  from  each  other. 
The  difference  is  not  only  as  to  the  interpretation  of  the  Constitution 
and  the  law  for  the  government  of  the  people,  but  seems  to  go  down 
to  the  very  roots  of  the  moral  law. 

That  this  is  a  fact  upon  which  he  rested  no  man  can  doubt, 
and  it  is  a  fact  upon  which  liberalism  may  build  its  temple 
founded  on  a  rock.  That  "no  pent-up  Utica "  bound  his 
powers  of  discrimination  and  that  no  sectional  line  was  per 
mitted  to  obscure  his  sense  of  justice  of  the  worthy  and  the 
noble  was  often  exhibited  in  generous  words  and  actions. 
Notably  did  he  display  his  appreciation  of  great  virtue  in  what 
he  says  in  his  lxx>k  of  Gen.  Edward  C.  Walthall,  of  Missis 
sippi,  whom  he  describes  most  justly  as  "  a  perfect  type  of  the 
gentleman  in  character  and  speech,  and  as  courteous  and  eager 
to  be  of  service  to  his  friends  or  his  country,"  and  to  him  he- 
pays  a  tribute  which  is  the  badge  of  true  and  lasting  glory 
both  to  him  who  gave  and  to  him  who  received.  "  If,"  says 
he,  "  I  were  to  select  the  one  man  of  all  others  with  whom  I 
have  served  in  the  Senate  who  seems  to  me  the  most  perfect 
example  of  the  quality  and  character  of  the  American  Senator, 
I  think  it  would  be  Kdward  C.  Walthall,  of  Mississippi." 

Senator  HOAR  in  his  service  here  was  a  Senator  only.  He- 
looked  the  Senator;  he  spoke  the  Senator.  His  eye  was  single 
and  it  was  full  of  light.  Xo  man  ever  said  or  thought  of  him 
that  he  was  the  servant  of  personal  ambitions  or  of  private  ends. 
There  are  many  things  in  heaven  and  in  earth  that  can  not  l>e 
seen  by  our  eyes,  or  heard  by  our  ears,  or  touched  by  our  hands, 


76  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

or  which  are  within  the  pale  of  our  senses;  more  indeed  "  than 
are  dreamed  of  in  our  philosophies."  Hence  many  a  noble 
aim  may  miss  its  mark,  however  clear  be  the  eye  that  discerns, 
however  firm  be  the  will  that  directs,  however  true  be  the  hand 
that  obeys.  It  is  only  possible  to  the  human  to  be  right  in 
mind  and  conscience  and  to  be  sincere  in  heart.  So  felt  the 
prophet  when  he  said:  "  Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence;  for 
out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life. ' '  So  did  Senator  HOAR  keep  his 
heart.  He  aimed  his  arrow  at  wrong  wherever  he  thought  he 
found  it.  He  lifted  his  shield  over  the  right  wherever  he 
thought  the  right  needed  reenforcement.  It  is  only  in  such 
performance  of  duty  that  true  glory  may  be  found. 

"The  most  important  thing  about  a  man  is  his  religion," 
said  Thomas  Carlyle,  for  it  is  true  that  out  of  the  creed  grows 
the  deed.  Mr.  HOAR  had  a  religion.  It  was  a  noble  one.  If 
I  sought  to  sum  it  up  I  would  say  it  was  "  God  and  humanity; 
over  all  and  in  all,  God."  He  was  Unitarian  in  his  profession, 
and  at  the  National  Unitarian  Conference  in  this  city  in 
October,  1899,  he  said:  "Every  Unitarian  man  or  woman, 
every  lover  of  God  or  His  Son,  everyone  who  in  loving  his 
fellow-men  loves  God  and  His  Son,  even  without  knowing  it.  is 
welcome  to  this  company."  *  *  *  "No  Five  Points,  no 
Athanasian  creed,  no  Thirty-nine  Articles  could  separate  the 
men  and  women  of  our  \vay  of  thinking  from  humanity  or  from 
Divinity."  *  *  *  "We  are  sometimes  told  that  we  can 
not  define  Unitarianism.  For  myself  I  thank  God  it  is  not  to 
be  defined.  To  define  is  to  bound,  to  inclose,  to  limit.  The 
great  things  of  the  universe  are  not  to  be  defined.  You  can 
not  define  human  soul.  You  can  not  define  the  intellect.  You 
can  not  define  immortality  or  eternity.  You  can  not  define 
God." 


Address  of  Mr.  Daniel,  of  Virginia  77 

He  preached  hope,  faith,  and  charity,  and  finally  "that 
whatever  clouds  may  darken  the  horizon  the  world  is  growing 
better;  that  to-day  is  better  than  yesterday,  and  to-morrow  will 
be  better  than  to-day." 

The  great  career  of  Isham  G.  Harris  was  portrayed  by 
Senator  HOAR  in  an  address,  which,  leaving  out  a  few  phrases 
which  identify  the  speaker,  might  have  been  spoken  by  the 
neighlx>r  and  life-long  associate  of  that  distinguished  Tennes- 
sean  and  true  American;  for  it  is  replete  with  every  note  of 
appreciation  of  that  singularly  able,  direct,  frank,  courageous, 
and  manly  man.  Senator  Harris's  services  here  and  elsewhere 
are  clothed  with  reflections  such  as  are  in  our  hearts  to-day 
with  respect  to  his  eulogist,  but  which  no  one  could  express  so 
well  as  did  Senator  HOAR. 

His  influence — 
vSaid  Mr.  HOAR— 

will  be  felt  here  for  a  long  time;  his  striking  figure  will  still  be  moving 
about  the  Senate  Chamber,  still  deliberating  and  still  debating.  Mr. 
President,  it  is  delightful  to  think  that  l>etween  men  who  took  part  in  the 
great  conflict  of  the  civil  war,  at  least  a  greater  part  of  them,  the  bitter 
feelings  are  all  gone.  Throughout  the  whole  land  the  word  "country 
men"  has  at  last  become  a  title  of  endearment.  The  memory  of  the 
soldiers  of  that  great  conflict  is  preserved  as  gently  by  both  sides.  Massa 
chusetts  joins  with  Tennessee  in  putting  a  wreath  on  the  tomb  of  her  great 
soldier,  her  great  governor,  her  great  Senator.  He  was  faithful  to  truth 
as  he  saw  it,  to  duty  as  he  understood  it,  to  constitutional  liberty  as  he 
conceived  it. 

Not  only  Virginia,  the  elder  sister  of  Massachusetts,  not 
only  the  old  thirteen  States  that  founded  our  fabric  of  Gov 
ernment,  but  all  of  the  forty-five  American  Commonwealths 
that  to-day  constitute  the  Republic,  say  this  of  him,  who  so 
nobly  applied  it  to  another:  "He  was  faithful  to  truth  as  he 
saw  it,  to  duty  as  he  understood  it,  to  constitutional  liberty 
as  he  conceived  it."  He,  like  Harris,  is  also  dead.  Together 


78  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

all  the  States  bow  their  heads  beside  his  tomb.  Together 
they  bind  their  wreaths  of  honor  and  affection  and  lay  them 
encircled  there. 

Man  sees  all  things  die  around  him.  The  bud  and  the 
blossom  die.  The  leaf  and  the  tree  die.  The  birds  of  the 
air  and  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  the  creatures  of  the  forest  and 
the  field  and  the  desert;  alike,  the}7  die.  Man  in  this  respect 
is  like  them,  and  we  see  and  feel  and  know  within  ourselves, 
as  did  our  dying  brother,  that  of  a  truth  we  die  daily.  The 
days  die  and  the  nights  die.  The  weeks  and  the  months 
and  the  years  and  the  centuries  and  the  aeons  die.  Time 
itself,  even  as  \ve  call  its  name  and  with  our  every  breath, 
dies  away  from  us.  An  eternity  without  beginning  lies  behind 
us — dead. 

But  all  things,  too,  are  quickening,  pulsing,  and  springing 
into  life  around  us — out  of  darkness  the  light,  out  of  death 
life  again;  and  creation  and  re-creation  forever  reappear 
through  fire  and  flood,  through  ice  and  air,  through  land  and 
sea,  in  the  skies  above  the  earth  and  in  the  waters  under  the 
earth,  uprising  and  widespreading  their  redundant  and  cease 
less  continuances  and  reassertions  of  life,  life,  life.  See  we 
not,  therefore,  that  all  things  at  all  times  testify  to  life,  to 
life  instant,  to  life  constant,  to  life  impregnable  and  irre 
sistible,  to  life  all-conquering;  it  is  scarcely  a  step  to  say,  to 
life  everlasting.  This  is  what  Senator  HOAR  believed.  If 
these  things  apply  to  the  material  things  around  us,  from 
which  creation  is  ever  evoking  newer  and  higher  forms  of 
life,  how  much  more  do  they  seem  applicable  to  the  finer  and 
subtler  things  of  spirit;  and  is  it  not  in  the  life  and  character 
and  thought  and  aspiration  and  loving  kindness  of  such  men 
as  was  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR  in  that  we  find  indeed  the 
strongest  intimations  in  nature  of  immortality? 


Address  of  Mr.  Gallinger,  of  New  Hampshire       79 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  GALLINGER,  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  Longfellow's  poetic  allusion  to  Bayard 
Taylor  may  appropriately  be  applied  to  the  late  Senator  HOAR: 

Dead  he  lay  amon^  his  b<x>ks, 
The  peace  of  God  was  in  his  looks. 
As  the  statues  in  the  gloom 
Watch  o'er  Maximilian's  tomb, 
So  those  volumes  from  their  shelves 
Watched  him,  silent  as  themselves. 

Genial,  lovable,  witty,  scholarly,  and  eloquent,  loving  his 
books  and  reveling  in  intellectual  research,  GEORGE  FRISBIE 
HOAR  was  the  highest  type  of  the  scholar  in  politics.  A 
profound  student,  a  great  jurist,  and  omnivorous  reader,  his 
wonderful  mind  seemed  to  retain  accurate  knowledge  on 
almost  every  conceivable  subject,  so  much  so  that  his  asso 
ciates  in  the  Senate  rarely  questioned  the  authenticity  of  his 
utterances.  How  he  illumined  every  discussion  that  dealt 
with  historical  subjects,  and  how  wonderful  and  instructive 
were  his  speeches  on  the  great  questions  of  the  day.  It 
seemed  to  those  of  us  who  were  privileged  to  listen  to  his 
words  of  wisdom  and  admonition  that  he  must  always  remain 
in  this  body,  the  great  central  figure  of  the  arena  in  which 
his  talents  were  so  conspicuously  displayed.  But  he  was 
mortal,  and  in  the  fullness  of  his  years  the  summons  came, 
and  his  inspiring  presence  is  with  us  no  more.  Loving  him 
as  we  did,  it  is  fitting  that  words  of  eulogy,  however  inade 
quate  they  may  lie,  should  be  spoken  by  his  associates,  who 
knew  him  as  one  of  the  greatest  Senators  that  the  Republic 
has  produced. 


80  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Of  what  we  shall  say  here  of  the  late  Senator  from  Massa 
chusetts  little  may  survive  the  day  of  its  utterance.  Our 
tributes  to  his  worth  may  soon  be  forgotten.  Our  estimates  of 
his  character  may  add  nothing  to  his  fame.  Our  eulogies  may 
not  be  necessary  to  keep  in  the  memory  of  his  countrymen 
his  service  to  the  nation.  Yet  the  opinion  of  his  associates 
in  the  field  of  his  public  usefulness  is  but  the  spontaneous 
testimony  of  those  who  have  felt  the  inspiration  and  uplifting 
of  his  presence.  Perhaps  the  most  we  can  hope  is  that  the 
judgment  of  his  contemporaries  may  aid  the  future  historian, 
free  from  the  prejudice  and  feeling  of  the  hour  in  which  he 
writes,  to  assign  to  Senator  HOAR  his  place  among  those  who 
have  had  a  prominent  part  in  the  making  of  the  Republic. 

When  I  entered  the  Senate  in  1891  Senator  HOAR  had  been 
a  member  for  fourteen  years,  that  being  a  much  longer  service 
than  is  usual  in  this  body.  He  had  already  attained  a  leader 
ship  in  the  councils  of  the  nation  which  gave  to  his  views  the 
earnest  consideration  of  the  country.  As  a  product  of  New 
England,  my  own  State  had  pride  in  him  second  only  to  that 
of  Massachusetts.  He  stood  the  conspicuous  representative  of 
New  England  thought  and  New  England  independence  of 
action.  He  had  become  a  fixture  in  this  body.  If  there  was 
thought  anywhere  entertained  of  his  ceasing  to  be  a  Senator 
from  Massachusetts  it  never  found  public  expression.  Differ, 
as  he  frequently  did,  from  the  people  of  the  East  on  public 
questions,  there  was  that  weight  given  to  his  opinions  and  that 
confidence  felt  in  his  integrity  that  any  New  England  State 
would  have  returned  him  term  after  term,  as  did  the  State  of 
Massachusetts.  He  held  a  place  in  the  affections  of  the  people 
of  New  England  second  to  that  of  none  other  in  our  history. 
Some  of  his  predecessors  in  this  body  have  been  rebuked 
or  retired  for  failing  to  represent  the  current  opinions  of  a 


Address  of  Mr.  Gallingcr,  of  New  Hampshire       81 

majority  of  their  constituents,  but  Senator  HOAR'S  hold 
upon  the  public  was  such  that  his  commission  read:  "  For  life. 
to  act  as  your  conscience  dictates." 

Nor  was  the  deference  paid  to  the  views  of  Senator  HOAR 
by  the  ]>eople  of  New  England  greater  than  that  of  his  associ 
ates  in  this  body.  Whatever  the  subject  under  discussion  it 
had  not  been  exhausted,  or  the  last  fitting  word  spoken,  it 
Senator  HOAR  was  yet  to  address  the  Senate.  Out  of  his 
learning  and  research  would  come  new  facts  and  new  thoughts 
for  consideration.  Every  debate  in  which  he  had  a  part  was 
enriched  by  his  contribution.  His  knowledge  of  history  and 
of  precedent  was  profound  and  accurate,  and  he  gave  of  his 
abundant  store  of  information  to  all  matters  of  legislation. 
With  him  no  subject  was  too  trivial  for  thoughtful  discussion. 
He  was  ever  the  careful,  painstaking,  and  conscientious  public 
servant.  Dissenting  often  from  his  opinions,  there  was  always 
that  great  respect  for  his  views  which  is  paid  only  to  those  who 
command  it  from  the  superiority  of  their  knowledge  and  the 
integrity  of  their  purpose. 

Senator  HOAR'S  service  in  both  branches  of  Congress  covered 
almost  a  third  of  the  period  of  the  Government  since  the  adop 
tion  of  the  Federal  Constitution.  Others  have  been  here  as 
long  at  different  times  in  our  history,  but  to  few  has  it  been 
given  to  witness  and  be  a  part  of  so  great  development  and  so 
many  changes.  At  the  entrance  of  his  career  the  fifteenth  and 
last  amendment  of  the  Constitution  was  proposed  in  Congress, 
and  he  therefore  participated  in  making  our  organic  law  what 
it  is  to-day.  Versed  in  all  the  facts  pertaining  to  the  construc 
tion  and  evolution  of  that  document,  he  could  rightly  consider 
himself  one  of  its  expounders,  and  most  jealous  was  he  of  any 
departure  from  its  provisions.  In  all  of  the  important  legisla 
tion  since  1869  he  had  a  part  in  molding  it  to  the  needs  of  the 
S.  Doc.  201,  58-3 6 


82  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

country.  The  impress  of  his  thought  is  stamped  upon  the 
statutes  of  the  nation  for  a  generation.  His  life  may  be  read 
in  our  laws,  our  policies,  and  our  growth.  If  no  one  great 
measure  owes  to  him  its  authorship  it  is  because  he  distributed 
the  genius  necessary  to  such  a  creation  over  a  multitude  of 
enactments. 

Mr.  President,  there  is  little  contemporary  appreciation  of  the 
faithful  public  servant,  his  personal  sacrifice,  and  his  fidelity  to 
the  trust  committed  to  his  care.  The  public  sees  but  the  gla 
mour  of  power,  and  notices  but  the  acts  that  go  contrary  to  its 
opinion.  Senator  HOAR'S  life  was  the  highest  type  of  civic 
patriotism,  for  it  was  dedicated  in  the  loftiest  degree  to  the 
public  service  Honor,  fame,  reward  a\vaited  him  in  his  pro 
fession  or  in  the  field  of  literature.  Yielding  to  his  inclination 
and  taste,  he  had  ahead  of  him  the  comforts  of  private  life,  its 
enjoyments,  its  freedom  from  public  vexations,  its  satisfying 
returns.  This  enticing  picture  of  the  future  he  put  aside  when 
the  call  came  to  him  to  take  up  the  public  burden,  and  he  bore 
his  part  without  complaint.  Truly  there  is  a  heroism  of  peace 
as  well  as  of  war,  and  Senator  HOAR  was  the  civic  hero  of  his 
generation. 

Could  anything  be  more  beautiful  and  inspiring  than  his  life? 
In  the  world  at  large  he  had  also  his  part  in  the  public  weal. 
Did  the  cause  of  philanthropy  need  an  advocate,  he  was  there. 
Did  the  oppressed  of  other  nations  call  for  a  champion,  his  voice 
was  raised  in  their  behalf.  Was  it  a  moral  lesson  to  teach,  he 
pointed  it  with  a  force  at  once  striking  and  effective.  Did  the 
shadow  of  superstition  darken  the  land,  his  gospel  of  faith, 
hope,  and  cheer  lifted  the  veil.  To  his  neighbors  he  was  the 
beloved  citizen.  To  his  countrymen  he  was  the  statesman 
without  reproach.  To  the  youth  of  the  nation  he  was  the 
example  of  true  manhood.  To  us  here  he  was  a  helper  and 


Address  of  Mr.  Gallinger,  of  New  Hampshire       83 

friend.  To  the  future  we  may  leave  his  fame,  content  that  he 
who  writes  impartially  of  that  period  of  the  Republic  from  the 
close  of  the  war  between  the  States  to  the  incoming  twentieth 
century  will  place  Senator  HOAR  high  among  those  who  loved 
their  country,  and  gave  of  the  best  within  them  for  her  better 
ment.  Peace  to  his  ashes. 


84  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  BACON,  OF  GEORGIA 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  It  is  too  frequently  true  that  the  language 
of  eulogy  far  surpasses  the  true  merit  of  the  object  of  its  praise. 
The  ancient  maxim  of  the  Latins,  "  Speak  no  evil  of  the  dead," 
found  its  inspiration  in  the  same  charity  which  impels  the 
ascription  of  virtues  to  one  who  has  gone  from  the  living,  far 
exceeding  those  which  are  recognized  and  accorded  to  him 
when  in  life.  It  is  most  rarely  true  that  he  who  approaches 
the  grateful  task  of  paying  tribute  to  one  who  was  loved  and 
honored  in  life  is  freed  from  the  apprehension  that  he  may  say 
more  than  the  record  may  warrant. 

No  such  apprehension  disturbs  me  when  I  come  to  speak  of 
Senator  HOAR.  On  the  contrary,  his  life  was  so  rich  in  its 
great  accomplishments,  his  character  so  strong  and  so  individ 
ualistic,  his  intellectual  culture  and  attainments  so  high  and  so 
varied,  and  his  career  so  long  and  so  distinguished,  in  letters, 
at  the  bar,  and  in  the  national  councils,  that  as  I  attempt  these 
few  words  I  am  oppressed  with  the  consciousness  that,  even  if 
time  permitted,  my  utterances  would  be  feeble  to  express  the 
meed  of  honor  and  of  encomium  which  he  merits  and  which  I 
would  gladly  pay  to  his  memory. 

In  the  ten  years  I  have  been  associated  with  him  in  this 
Chamber,  through  eight  of  which  I  have  served  on  the  Judi 
ciary  Committee  under  his  chairmanship,  I  have  come  to  know 
and  to  admire  him  as  the  learned  lawyer  and  as  the  wise  states 
man;  as  the  patriot  with  boundless  devotion  to  the  country  and 
pride  in  its  institutions  and  in  the  imperishable  principles  of 


Address  of  Mr.  Bacon,  of  Georgia  85 

its  Government;  as  the  great  orator  upon  whose  words  the 
Senate  was  wont  to  hang  with  conscious  pride,  and  to  which 
the  nation  lent  an  ever  eager  ear.  And  withal,  as  time  passed 
and  with  it  was  given  the  opportunity  to  know  him,  when 
measuring  him,  not  in  the  narrow  limitations  of  the  specialist, 
but  in  the  broad  field  which  must  be  occupied  by  the  all-round 
man,  facing  and  j>ersonally  dealing  with  the  varied  demands 
and  problems  and  activities,  social  and  political,  of  his  day,  I 
came  to  regard  him  as  the  most  scholarly  and  the  most  intel 
lectually  cultivated,  and  the  best-equipped  man,  not  only  in  the 
Senate,  not  only  in  the  Congress,  but  also  among  all  those  with 
whom  it  has  l>een  my  fortune  to  come  into  personal  contact  and 
association.  Doubtless  it  is  true  that  in  some  respects  he  was 
excelled  by  some  men,  and  that  in  other  respects  he  was 
excelled  by  other  men,  for  however  it  may  have  been  in  the 
earlier  day  of  more  contracted  scope  of  intellectual  vision,  in 
this  day  of  limitless  intellectual  development  it  is  impossible 
that  any  man  can  "take  all  knowledge  to  lie  his  province." 
Hut  nevertheless,  in  the  general  range  of  capacity  and  acquire 
ment,  and  taking  him  as  a  whole,  I  have  never  known  the  man 
whom,  in  general  scholarship  and  intellectual  culture  and 
equipment,  I  have  thought  to  be  his  superior. 

To  such  scholarship,  to  such  intellectual  culture  and  attain 
ment  he  added  great  personal  industry,  intensity  of  conviction, 
and  unfaltering  purpose. 

But,  sir,  in  the  brief  moment  that  I  may  to-day  properly 
occupy  it  is  not  for  me  to  speak  of  him  in  this  larger  view. 
Nevertheless,  omitting  the  general  consideration  which  is  now 
impracticable,  I  may  briefly  advert  to  a  few  characteristics  and 
recent  incidents  in  his  career. 

If  there  was  with  him  one  sentiment  deeper  and  more 
intense  than  all  others,  it  was  his  love  of  the  right  of  personal 


86  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

liberty  and  his  devotion  to  the  right  of  self-government. 
Born  on  the  spot  where  in  1775  was  fired  the  first  shot  which 
echoed  round  the  world  the  proclamation  of  personal  and 
political  freedom,  his  heart  was  ever  true  to  these  fundamental 
rights,  warmed  as  it  was  by  the  blood  which  had  coursed 
through  the  veins  of  his  patriotic  sires.  To  their  defense 
from  all  assaults,  whether  from  friend  or  foe,  he  was  ever 

Constant  as  the  northern  star, 
Of  whose  true-fixed  and  resting  quality 
There  is  no  fellow  in  the  firmament. 

Striking  was  the  evidence  of  this  devotion  which  he  gave 
within  recent  years.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
political  party  of  which  he  was  a  most  distinguished  member. 
For  near  half  a  century  he  was  its  zealous  and  ardent  adherent, 
and  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time  he  stood  in  the  front  rank 
of  its  leadership.  He  was  devoted  to  its  principles  and  proud 
of  its  history  and  of  its  achievements.  He  loved  it  as  one 
loves  those  of  his  bone  and  of  his  flesh.  Nevertheless  when 
that  party  to  whose  service  he  was  thus  consecrated  did  those 
things  and  advocated  those  policies  which  in  his  opinion 
violated  the  right  of  personal  and  political  liberty,  and  which 
in  his  judgment  violated  the  right  of  self-government,  he, 
with  the  loved  and  venerable  Morrill,  of  Vermont,  took  issue 
with  his  party,  and  during  the  years  when  that  controversy 
raged  fiercely  here  he  battled  for  those  rights  with  a  power 
and  eloquence  and  an  untiring  pertinacity  which  have  never 
been  surpassed  in  this  Chamber;  and  those  of  us  who  in  that 
fierce  controversy  thought  as  he  did  were  honored  in  being 
accounted  worthy  to  follow  him  afar  off. 

One  thing  personal  to  him,  Mr.  President,  I  may  not  for 
bear  to  mention.  His  political  party  has  been  for  a  generation 


Address  of  Mr.  Bacon,  of  Georgia 


87 


sharply  at  issue  with  the  policies  and  the  measures  predomi 
nant  in  the  South.  Throughout  the  lengthening  years  it  has 
naturally  resulted  that  in  the  heat  of  political  controversy 
there  have  been  engendered  the  fires  of  personal  and  political 
antagonism. 

And  yet,  during  these  same  years,  no  one  has  spoken  more 
kindly  and  in  words  more  laudatory  of  the  South  than  has 
Senator  HOAR;  and  both  in  this  Chamber  and  on  the  rostrum 
elsewhere  he  has  repeatedly  borne  testimony  to  the  high  ideals 
and  the  nobility  of  character  of  the  people  of  the  South,  and  to 
the  integrity  and  probity  of  her  public  men — virtues  the  pos 
session  of  which  they  prize  more  than  political  power  or  the 
rewards  that  wait  on  political  supremacy.  And,  sir,  I  am  glad 
of  this  opportunity  to  thus  publicly  testify  to  the  great  appre 
ciation  of  the  South  of  his  generous  praise  and  to  express  the 
gratitude  and  honor  in  which  her  people  will  ever  hold  his 
memory. 

To  this,  Mr.  President,  I  wish  to  add  the  expression  of  im 
personal  sorrow  for  his  loss.  When  he  went  hence,  a  great 
void  was  made  in  this  Chaml)er,  which  none  other  can  fill. 
Wise  in  council,  strong  in  debate,  defiant  of  wrong,  dauntless 
in  the  advocacy  of  the  right,  ripe  in  experience,  and  venerable  ' 
in  years,  he  spoke  when  others  were  silent. 

Proud  of  the  Senate,  he  was  jealous 
his  prompt  challengemet__every  attem 

theirT  Devotedto  the  system  and  the  spirit  of  our_Qp.vern- 
ment,  he  was  ever  the  fearless  and  outspoken  champion  in  their 
defense!  Alidsince  he  has  gone  from  among  us,  when  upon 
occasion  they  have  seemed  to  me  to  be  here  in  jeopardy,  I 
have  involuntarily  turned  to  his  old  familiar  seat,  and  I  have 
longed  for  the  voice  that  is  still. 


88  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Mr.  President,  Massachusetts  has  borne  a  conspicuous  part 
in  the  history  of  our  country.  She  was  "the  cradle  in  which 
young  Liberty  was  rocked."  The  first  blood  shed  in  the  cause 
of  independence  was  poured  out  upon  her  soil.  Since  that  first 
shot  at  Concord  great  has  been  the  number  of  her  illustrious 
sons.  When  she  comes  to  enroll  their  names,  high  among 
those  worthy  to  be  chief  in  her  pride  and  in  her  affections  will 
be  found  that  of  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR. 


Address  of  Mr.  Perkins,  of  California  89 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  PERKINS,  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Mr.  PRESIDENT  :  How  great  the  loss  of  our  country  is  iu  the 
death  of  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR  will,  perhaps,  not  be  fully 
realized  until  time  shall  have  enabled  Americans  to  fully 
understand  and  appreciate  the  loftiness  of  his  character  and  the 
power  of  his  intellect.  We  of  this  body,  of  which  he  was  so 
long  one  of  its  most  distinguished  members,  have  had  a  better 
opportunity  to  learn  what  manner  of  man  he  was  than  others 
of  his  contemporaries,  and  I  am  sure  that  if  we  can  not  now 
measure  the  true  greatness  of  the  man  we  are  able  to  ascribe  to 
him  a  place  in  public  life  from  which  posterity  will,  at  least, 
not  lower  him.  We  who  saw  him  at  the  close  range  of  every 
day  life,  without  that  perspective  which  is  necessary  to  show 
the  harmony  of  parts,  recognize  him  as  one  of  the  greatest 
Americans,  whose  qualities  of  heart  and  mind  we  believe 
entitle  him  to  the  rank  of  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  his  time 
and  generation. 

Some  idea  of  the  man  and  of  his  character  can  be  obtained 
from  a  mere  reading  of  the  brief  sketch  of  his  life  which 
appears  in  Congressional  publications.  The  bare  facts  there 
set  forth  show  that  from  the  time  he  began  life  until  his  death 
he  stood  upon  a  high  intellectual  and  moral  plane.  His 
associates  from  youth  were  with  those  of  elevated  character 
and  unusual  intellectual  attainments,  and  in  this  atmosphere 
he  passed  a  long,  a  useful,  and  an  unselfish  life.  As  we  learn 
more  and  more  of  the  work,  public  and  private,  in  which  he 
was  engaged,  we  acquire  a  wider  and  clearer  conception  of  the 
breadth  of  his  understanding  and  the  wide  range  of  his  sym 
pathies.  The  movements  and  institutions  with  which  his  name 


90  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

is  connected  form  a  true  index  of  the  bent  of  his  mind  and  the 
aim  of  his  efforts.  In  no  position  to  which  his  great  attain 
ments  called  him  is  there  a  chance  to  suspect  that  selfish 
ambition  had  an  opportunity  to  manifest  itself.  It  is  true, 
doubtless,  that  ambition  had  a  place  among  the  reasons  which 
induced  him  to  accept  the  positions  of  honor  to  which  he  gave 
the  dignity  of  his  character,  but  it  was  an  ambition  to  serve 
others,  not  to  serve  himself. 

The  colleagues  of  Senator  HOAR  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States  will,  without  exception,  bear  witness  to  the  predominat 
ing  characteristic  of  his  work  as  a  public  man — unselfish  desire 
to  promote  the  public  good.  In  a  word,  he  was  a  patriot  in  the 
highest  and  strictest  meaning  of  the  term.  In  no  word  that  he 
uttered,  in  no  act  that  he  performed,  was  there  other  than  the 
most  sincere  desire  to  effect  something  for  the  common  good. 
We  who  have  had  the  opportunity  to  know  him  personally,  to 
study  him  as  affected  by  the  many  and  various  conditions  and 
situations  which  occur  here,  have  never  had  reason  to  suspect 
that  the  thought  of  self  ever  shaded  the  meaning  of  a  phrase 
or  gave  the  motive  for  an  act.  Throughout  his  long  public 
career  nothing  has  been  brought  out  more  clearly  than  that  the 
object  of  all  his  efforts  was  the  well-being  of  the  Republic — the 
peace,  happiness,  and  prosperity  of  its  citizens.  And  I  think 
that  the  future  historian  who  is  able  to  make  an  unbiased  esti 
mate  of  the  worth  of  the  public  men  who  have  gone  will  affirm 
that  of  the  great  men  who  were  distinguished  for  their  love  of 
country  none  stood  before  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAP. 

It  is  this  characteristic  of  the  great  successor  of  the  great 
men  whom  Massachusetts  has  sent  to  the  United  States  Senate 
which  appeals  to  me  most  strongly,  and  I  would  that  I  could 
impress  it  upon  those  who  are  ambitious  to  follow  in  his  foot 
steps  in  public  life.  It  is  a  characteristic  which  was  found  in 


Address  of  Mr.  /V;-/v;/.v,  of  California  91 

those  who  founded  the  Republic,  maintained  it  through  all  the 
vicissitudes  through  which  it  has  passed,  and  which  must  exist 
in  the  citi/ens  of  the  Republic  if  the  Republic  is  to  endure. 

The  patriotism  of  GKORC.K  F.  HOAR  was  that  of  the  men  of 
'76,  the  men  of  the  Revolution,  the  men  of  the  civil  war,  to 
whom  self  was  as  naught  compared  with  the  public  good.  And 
his  colleagues  in  this  Chamber  will  readily  recall  many  in 
stances  in  which  it  was  as  clear  as  the  sun  on  an  unclouded  day 
that  his  public  act  was  performed  in  the  knowledge  that  it 
exjxxsed  him  to  penalties  which  none  but  the  strongest  and 
most  unselfish  men  are  willing  to  invite.  I  think  he  stands 
to-day  the  tyjx-  of  the  American  who  has  made  the  1'nited 
States  jx>ssible,  and  without  whom  it  can  not  long  exist;  and  I 
can  not  jxiint  out  a  more  illustrious  example  for  young  Ameri 
cans  to  follow  than  the  great  statesman  whose  memory  we  here 
honor  to-day. 

As  long  as  the  standard  which  he  set  for  himself  is  the 
standard  of  the  youth  of  America  there  need  be  no  fear  for  the 
future  of  our  country.  Americans  with  the  patriotic  ideals  of 
GKOKGK  FKISHIK  HOAR  are  an  invincible  defense  against 
enemies  from  within  or  foes  from  without. 

This  unselfish  love  of  country  was  what  made  Senator  HOAR, 
with  his  great  abilities  and  his  wide  learning,  a  statesman  in 
the  broadest  and  highest  sense.  Mere  politics  had  no  place  in 
his  scheme  of  public  life.  While  a  man  loyal  to  his  party,  and 
lending  to  it  the  weight  of  his  great  intellect  and  wide  expe 
rience,  often  following  it,  as  long  as  there  was  ground  for  a 
reasonable  and  honest  doubt,  in  paths  which  did  not  meet  his 
hearty  approval,  he  was  ever  ready  to  rise  above  party  when 
his  conscience  was  aroused  and  his  reason  was  convinced. 
Party  ties  were  then  as  cobweb  shackles  to  his  actions.  First 
with  him  came  the  good  of  our  common  country.  Party 


92  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

advantage  and  party  policy  were  at  all  times  secondary  to 
the  welfare  of  all  the  people.  And  such  was  the  knowledge  of 
the  man  by  his  immediate  constituents,  and  such  the  absolute 
confidence  in  his  honesty  of  judgment  and  devotion  to  the 
best  interests  of  the  Republic,  that  a  resolution  was  reported  in 
the  Massachusetts  legislature  on  the  occasion  of  his  strenuous 
opposition  to  party  policy  on  the  pending  treaty  relative  to 
the  Philippines,  declaring  that  Massachusetts  left  her  Senators 
' '  untrammeled  in  the  exercise  of  an  independent  and  patriotic 
judgment  upon  the  momentous  questions  presented  for  their 
consideration."  And  never  was  implicit  confidence  more 
worthily  placed  than  in  GEORGE  F.  HOAR.  In  his  recently 
published  memoirs  he  sets  forth  his  attitude  as  a  public  man  as 
follows: 

I  have  throughout  my  whole  public  political  life  acted  upon  my  own 
judgment.  I  have  done  what  I  thought  for  the  public  interest,  without 
much  troubling  myself  about  public  opinion.  *  *  I  account  it  my 

great  good  fortune  that,  although  I  have  never  flinched  from  uttering 
whatever  I  thought  and  acting  according  to  my  own  conviction  of  public 
duty,  that  as  I  am  approaching  fourscore  years  I  have,  almost  without  an 
exception,  the  good  will  of  my  countrymen.  I  have  never  in  • 

my  life  cast  a  vote  or  done  an  act  in  legislation  that  I  did  not  at  the  time 
believe  to  be  right — 

What  a  splendid  sentiment!  And  this  action  we  can  follow 
and  imitate  with  credit  to  ourselves  as  individual  Senators  and 
with  honor  to  our  country. 

I  have  never  in  my  life  cast  a  vote  or  done  an  act  in  legislation  that  I 
did  not  at  the  time  believe  to  be  right  and  that  I  am  not  now  willing  to 
avow  and  to  defend  and  debate  with  an}*  champion  of  sufficient  impor 
tance  who  desires  to  attack  it  at  any  time  and  in  any  presence.  Whether 
I  am  right  or  wrong  in  my  opinion  as  to  the  duty  of  acting  with  and 
adherence  to  part}7,  it  is  the  result  not  of  emotion  or  attachment  or 
excitement,  but  of  as  cool,  calculating,  sober,  and  deliberate  reflection 
as  I  am  able  to  give  to  any  question  of  conduct  or  duty.  Many  of  the 
things  I  have  done  in  this  world  which  have  been  approved  by  other  men, 
or  have  tended  to  give  me  any  place  in  the  respect  of  my  countrymen, 
have  been  done  in  opposition,  at  the  time,  to  the  party  to  which  I  belonged. 


Address  of  Mr.  Perkins,  of  California  93 

In  all  his  long  career  in  the  House  of  Representatives  and  in 
the  Senate  not  one  act  or  word  of  his  is  recorded  that  would 
serve  to  throw  suspicion  upon  the  absolute  purity  of  his 
motives  and  his  almost  religious  zeal  for  the  welfare  of  his 
country.  He  was  always  looking  far  into  the  future,  which 
his  great  knowledge  and  long  experience  taught  him  has  many 
and  vital  problems  yet  to  be  solved,  and  with  the  sagacity 
which  makes  of  a  sincere,  a  patriotic,  and  an  able  man  a  true 
statesman,  he  sought  to  so  guide  legislation  that  posterity 
should  find  no  cause  to  condemn  as  errors  the  acts  of  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States. 

The  ideals  of  the  founders  of  the  Republic  were  ever  before 
him,  and  to  maintain  or  attain  them  he  devoted  the  great  work 
of  his  active  life.  And  this  work  was  based  on  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  history  and  laws  of  his  country,  which  he 
had  made  his  study  throughout  his  long  career.  No  man 
here,  probably,  better  understood  the  basic  principles  of  our 
system  of  government,  more  deeply  entered  into  the  spirit 
which  underlies  it,  or  has  followed  with  greater  minuteness 
the  development  of  our  institutions.  Recognixing  that  the 
rock  on  which  the  Republic  is  built  is  the  Constitution,  he 
devoted  a  lifetime  to  an  effort  to  prevent  that  foundation  of 
our  republican  system  from  l>eing  undermined  and  the  super 
structure  rendered  unsafe. 

It  was  not  the  mere  lawyer,  brilliant  and  learned  as  he 
was,  that  studied  the  Constitution  and  worked  out  its  bearings 
on  political  policies  and  suggested  legislation;  it  was  the 
great  statesman,  who  sought  to  have  every  act  of  Govern 
ment  so  rest  on  a  sure  basis  of  truth  that  progress  should 
be  along  the  straight  path  leading  to  that  condition  of 
universal  well-being  which  was  the  aim  of  the  founders. 


94  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Thus  patriotism  and  statesmanship  made  of  GEORGE  F. 
HOAR  the  leading  constitutional  debater  of  his  time.  His 
knowledge  was  so  minute,  so  exact,  that  he  was  an  authority 
on  all  constitutional  questions,  and  was  so  recognized  by  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States.  In  the  interpretation  of  the 
Constitution  and  important  questions  as  to  construction  he  had 
important  and  leading  parts,  and  to  his  wisdom  and  legal 
acumen  is  in  great  part  due  the  safe  solution  of  many  vexed 
and  vital  questions  which  would  have  led  less  competent  men 
into  labyrinths  where  dangers  lie  on  every  side. 

But  notwithstanding  the  eminence  attained  by  GEORGE  F. 
HOAR  as  a  public  man,  his  was  a  character  of  almost  touch 
ing  simplicity.  He  had  no  thought  of  his  own  po\ver  or 
attainments — perhaps  did  not  realize  their  extent.  The  key 
note  is  found  in  his  own  words: 

Down  to  the  time  I  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  indeed  for  a  year  later, 
my  dream  and  highest  ambition  were  to  spend  my  life  as  what  is  called 
an  office  lawyer,  making  deeds  and  giving  advice  in  small  transactions. 
I  supposed  I  was  absolutely  without  capacity  for  public  speaking.  I 
expected  never  to  be  married;  perhaps  to  earn  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred 
dollars  a  year,  which  would  enable  me  to  have  a  room  of  my  own  in  some 
quiet  house,  and  to  earn  enough  to  collect  rare  books  that  could  be  had 
without  much  cost. 

Surely  a  simple  life  is  here  set  forth — a  life  in  wrhich  vulgar 
ambition  had  no  part  in  anticipation,  as  it  had  no  part  in  fact. 
Wealth  was  not  one  of  the  objects  which  the  young  man  was 
to  strive  for,  and  it  was  at  no  time  the  object  of  his  efforts. 
That  his  ideas  of  life  remained  unchanged  from  the  simple 
ones  of  early  manhood  was  made  clear  to  me  when,  a  few 
years  ago,  in  intimate  private  conversation,  he  stated  that  he 
had  never  had  a  desire  to  be  rich;  that  all  he  wished  for  was 
enough  to  procure  for  himself  and  those  he  loved  the  neces 
saries  of  life,  and  to  provide  after  his  death  for  those  dependent 
upon  him. 


Address  of  Mr.  Perkins,  of  California  95 

This  is  essentially  the  same  simple  personal  ambition  as  that 
of  the  young  lawyer  just  entering  upon  his  career.  And  in 
the  midst  of  a  busy,  active,  and  exacting  life  he  clung  to  his 
early  ambition  as  to  the  possession  of  l>ooks,  and  the  scholarly 
instincts  which  early  manifested  themselves  were  developed 
into  literary  powers  of  great  brilliancy.  The  intervals  in  his 
active  life  which  gave  leisure  were  passed  among  the  books, 
which  were  his  friends,  his  advisers,  and  his  helpers;  and  from  | 
the  great  minds  of  all  ages  he  gathered  that  store  of  rich  cul-/ 
ture  which  gave  charm  to  his  speech  and  loftiness  to  his  views?. 
That  library  which  he,  as  a  young  man,  looked  forward  to  as 
most  desirable  of  possessions  was  the  most  valuable  part  of  his 
estate  when  he  died.  He  lived  the  life  which  was  to  him  most 
attractive,  a  life  devoted  to  high  thought,  high  endeavor,  and 
high  attainment,  and  he  has  left  behind  him  that  which  is  of 
more  worth  than  great  riches. 

The  lesson — 

He  says  in  his  memoirs — 

which  I  have  learned  in  life,  which  is  impressed  on  me  daily,  and  more 
deeply  as  I  grow  old,  is  the  lesson  of  good  will  and  good  hope.  I  believe 
that  to-day  is  better  than  yesterday  and  that  to-morrow  will  be  better  than 
to-day.  I  believe  that  in  spite  of  so  many  errors  and  wrongs  and  even 
crimes  my  countrymen  of  all  classes  desire  what  is  good,  and  not  what  is 
evil. 

Well  may  we  say  of  this  noble  character: 

The  seas  are  quiet  when  the  winds  give  o'er; 

So  calm  are  we  when  passions  are  no  more; 

For  then  we  know  how  vain  it  was  to  boast 

Of  fleeting  things  too  certain  to  be  lost. 

Clouds  of  affection  from  our  younger  eves, 

Conceal  that  emptiness  which  age  descries. 

The  soul's  dark  cottage,  battered  and  decayed, 

Lets  in  new  light  through  chinks  that  time  has  made; 

Stronger  by  weakness,  wiser  men  become, 

As  they  draw  near  to  their  eternal  home. 

Leaving  the  old,  both  worlds  at  once  they  view, 

That  stand  upon  the  threshold  of  the  new. 


96  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  FAIRBANKS,  OF  INDIANA 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
figures  in  the  United  States  Senate  and  one  of  the  best-known 
men  within  the  limits  of  the  Republic.  He  honored  the 
Senate  and  the  Senate  honored  him.  He  cherished  its  best 
traditions  and  always  upheld  its  dignity  and  power.  He 
believed  it  among  the  wisest  provisions  of  our  great  scheme 
of  constitutional  government.  He  felt  that  in  the  serenity  of 
this  Chamber  the  interests  of  the  American  people  were  secure; 
that  it  was  one  of  the  most  potent  safeguards  of  liberty  among 
men.  Its  honor  was  very  dear  to  him. 

He  had  the  utmost  respect  for  the  Senatorial  office  and 
looked  with  marked  disfavor  upon  those  who  seemed  to  lack 
in  the  same  high  appreciation  of  its  functions  and  its  influence. 

Senator  HOAR  was  of  a  line  of  able  Senators,  men  of  unusual 
distinction  and  acknowledged  capacity  for  public  service.  He 
came  from  a  State  which  has  commissioned  her  most  gifted 
sons,  her  wisest  and  ablest  statesmen,  to  represent  her  here. 
The  roll  is  a  distinguished  and  honorable  one.  Among  the 
number  were  John  Quincy  Adams,  Rufus  Choate,  Robert  C. 
Winthrop,  Daniel  Webster,  Charles  Sumner,  and  Henry  Wil 
son,  men  who  commanded  the  nation's  respect  by  the  force  of 
their  genius;  men  who  were  well  fitted  to  make  a  nation's  laws. 
They  were  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  our  institutions. 
They  were  profound  believers  in  our  system  of  popular  gov 
ernment.  They  possessed  in  full  measure  the  national  confi 
dence  and  the  national  admiration.  Their  lives  and  their 
services  are  a  part  of  the  priceless  heritage  of  the  Republic. 


Address  of  Mr.  Fairbanks,  of  Indiana  97 

Senator  HOAR  was  fit  for  the  companionship  of  the  greatest 
of  these.  The  mantle  which  Massachusetts  placed  upon  his 
shoulders  was  worthily  worn  by  him  for  more  than  twenty-five 
years. 

He  entered  the  Senate  at  an  interesting  period  in  our  his 
tory.  Grave  questions  were  in  debate  and  great  problems 
were  soon  to  engage  the  enlightened  and  considerate  judg 
ment  of  the  American  people.  He  brought  hither  ample 
experience  as  a  Member  of  the  National  House  of  Repre 
sentatives,  the  reputation  of  an  able  lawyer,  and  the  rich 
accomplishments  of  a  man  of  letters.  He  entered  this  great 
arena  exceptionally  well  equipped  for  its  manifold  duties  and 
responsibilities. 

Throughout  his  career  here  he  addressed  himself  to  his 
Senatorial  duties  with  entire  singleness  of  purpose.  He 
brought  hither  no  divided  allegiance.  Neither  fear  nor  favor 
swerved  him  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  functions.  He 
never  for  a  moment  lost  sight  of  the  vital  fact  that  he  was 
the  servant  of  the  people  in  a  republican  Government.  His 
ideals  were  lofty,  and  he  sought  to  carry  them  into  the  dis 
charge  of  his  public  duties. 

Senator  HOAR  was  direct  and  candid.  He  had  no  hos 
pitality  for  men  who  were  otherwise.  He  was  a  brave  and 
sincere  man.  He  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions  and 
would  maintain  them  against  all  comers.  He  was  tenacious 
of  his  opinions,  which  had  been  wrought  out  by  investigation 
and  mature  reflection,  but  whenever  convinced  that  he  was 
wrong  he  would  yield  to  the  better  reason. 

He  was  one  of   the  founders  of   the  Republican  party  and 

one    of    its    wisest    counselors    throughout    his    long    public 

career.     He  was  a  firm   believer   in   the  virtue  of   its   tenets, 

a  powerful  supporter  of   its  administration,  yet  he  sometimes 

S.  Doc.  201,  58-3 7 


98  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

differed  with  his  party  associates.  His  differences  never  led 
to  their  alienation,  for  they  had  unbounded  faith  in  the 
absolute  integrity  of  his  purpose,  in  his  entire  veracity  as  a 
statesman,  and  in  his  unquenchable  love  of  country;  of  his 
supreme  confidence  in  the  beneficence  of  the  part}-  to  which 
he  gave  his  early  allegiance,  and  which  conferred  upon  him 
signal  honors. 

When  I  came  to  the  Senate  he  was  endeavoring  to  aid  in 
promoting  an  adjustment  of  the  unfortunate  conditions  in  the 
island  of  Cuba  so  as  to  avoid  an  infraction  of  the  international 
peace.  When  war  became  inevitable,  he  was  among  the  first 
to  raise  his  voice  in  vindication  of  the  course  upon  which  we 
were  about  to  enter.  He  justified  an  appeal  to  the  sword  in 
a  speech  of  uncommon  power.  He  supported  every  measure 
in  that  national  crisis.  When  our  arms  triumphed  and  the 
treaty  of  Paris  was  laid  before  the  Senate,  he  was  one  of  the 
most  forceful  in  opposition  to  its  ratification.  His  judgment 
led  him  to  challenge  the  policy  of  the  President  and  of  his 
party.  He  lost  no  opportunity  to  make  manifest  his  opposition 
to  the  acquisition  of  the  Philippine  Islands,  for  he  regarded 
their  possession  as  violative  of  the  principles  of  our  republican 
institutions.  All  his  powers  were  summoned  in  opposition  to 
a  step  which,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Administration  and  his 
party,  was  commanded  by  the  imperative  voice  of  national 
duty.  The  divergence  of  views  was  sharp,  yet  he  did  not  lose 
in  the  confidence  or  in  the  affection  of  those  with  whom  he 
had  so  long  been  in  political  fellowship. 

This  subject  was  in  debate  before  the  American  people 
when  he  was  last  elected  to  the  Senate.  His  attitude  upon 
it  was  not  in  harmony  with  the  prevailing  view  of  his  party 
in  the  venerable  Commonwealth  he  had  so  long  served. 
Without  a  dissenting  voice  the  Republicans  of  Massachusetts 


Address  of  Mr.  Fairbanks,  of  Indiana  99 

returned  him  to  his  seat  here.  He  was  profoundly  touched 
by  this  renewed  manifestation  of  the  confidence  of  his  State, 
and  especially  by  the  fact  that  she  thereby  recognized  his 
right  to  the  exercise  of  an  untrammeled  judgment  upon  a 
question  of  great  national  significance.  I  know  from  his  lips 
how  deeply  touched  he  was  by  this  evidence  of  the  regard  of 
the  Commonwealth  whose  approval  he  valued  beyond  all  else. 

During  his  entire  service  here  there  was  no  abatement  of 
his  interest  in  his  Senatorial  work.  He  was  a  diligent  and 
discriminating  student  of  all  questions  which  engaged  our 
attention,  and  sought  in  committee  and  upon  the  floor  to 
promote  those  measures  which  he  regarded  most  essential  in 
the  advancement  of  the  public  welfare.  He  was  an  investi 
gator,  a  searcher  after  truth.  His  learning  was  vast,  and  he 
gave  to  the  country  the  fullest  benefit  of  it.  For  twenty 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  the  Judiciary, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  its  chairman.  Xo  one  during 
that  period  was  more  able  and  more  diligent  than  he  in  con 
sidering  the  numerous  and  difficult  legal  and  constitutional 
questions  which  engaged  its  attention. 

Senator  HOAR'S  life  was  essentially  devoted  to  the  public 
welfare.  He  entered  the  National  House  of  Representatives 
more  than  a  generation  before  his  death.  When  he  entered 
the  public  service  he  practically  abandoned  the  practice  of  the 
law.  He  left  his  chosen  profession  after  he  had  become  well 
established  in  it.  He  turned  from  its  alluring  prospects  and 
its  material  rewards  to  the  service  of  the  State,  with  its  inade 
quate  pecuniary  returns,  because  he  l>elieved  it  was  his  patri 
otic  duty  to  do  so.  He  did  not  seek  the  opportunity  to  serve 
his  countrymen  in  the  wide  national  theater  where  he  so  long 
wrought.  The  people  sought  him.  Speaking  of  his  profes 
sional  career,  he  told  me  he  had  accumulated  a  reasonable 


ioo  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

competency,  and  that  during  his  public  sen-ice  he  had  reduced 
it  until  only  a  comparatively  small  sum  remained.  He  was, 
nevertheless,  eminently  satisfied  with  the  course  he  had  pur 
sued.  His  reward  was  the  consciousness  of  service  performed 
for  his  country  and  his  Commonwealth.  He  believed  that  here 
was  the  field  of  his  best  service  in  the  public  interest,  and  he 
declined  high  public  honors  in  other  departments  of  the  Gov 
ernment.  Twice  he  declined  the  English  mission,  a  position 
which  he  would  have  greatly  adorned.  There  was  in  his 
opinion  no  more  honorable  place  than  the  Senate  arid  none 
better  suited  to  his  taste  and  his  talents. 

Senator  HOAR  was  a  forceful  debater.  He  frequently  par 
ticipated  in  the  discussions  of  the  committee  and  the  Senate. 
He  was  zealous  in  the  espousal  of  his  cause  and  ' '  neither  asked 
nor  gave  quarter. ' '  He  brought  to  the  consideration  of  all 
questions  large  experience  and  wide  information.  He  sought 
to  win  the  deliberate  judgment  of  men;  he  cared  little  for  mere 
applause.  He  was  sober-minded,  and  addressed  himself  assid 
uously  to  the  consciences  and  judgment  of  his  countrymen. 
"The  men  to  whom  the  American  people  gives  its  respect,'' 
said  he,  "  and  whom  it  is  willing  to  trust  in  the  great  places  of 
power  are  intelligent  men  of  propriety,  dignity,  and  sobriety." 

Our  friend  died  as  he  would  have  wished- — with  the  harness 
on.  To  the  last  he  was  in  the  full  possession  of  his  intellectual 
faculties.  He  died  full  of  years,  full  of  honors — respected  and 
loved  everywhere.  No  stain  rests  upon  his  illustrious  name. 
He  awaited  death  with  composure,  as  the  just  may  do.  After 
he  had  taken  to  his  bed  with  an  illness  he  thought  temporary, 
he  wrote  me.  He  said  the  physicians  told  him  that  no  one 
died  of  his  ailment.  He  talked  lightly  of  it,  and  his  letter 
scintillated  with  that  subtle  wit  so  familiar  to  us. 


Address  of  Mr.  Fairbanks,  of  Indiana  101 

When  all  that  science  and  love  could  do  had  l>een  done,  and 
his  recovery  was  impossible,  our  friend  faced  the  future  with 
uncomplaining  lips.  A  few  days  before  the  end  he  said,  "I 
lx?lieve  I  shall  die  this  afternoon.  I  have  done  the  best  I  could. 
I  have  always  loved  this  town  and  its  people."  In  the  last 
serious  moment  his  thought  was  of  the  people  of  his  home, 
with  whom  he  had  l>een  most  closely  associated  and  who  never 
faltered  in  their  allegiance  to  him. 

Scholar,  orator,  patriot,  statesman,  colleague,  friend,  we 
reverently  place  upon  the  records  of  the  Senate  the  tribute  of 
our  affection  and  admiration. 


IO2  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  PETTUS,  OF  ALABAMA 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  I  desire  also  to  say  a  few  words  on  this 
occasion. 

The  great  Senator  from  Massachusetts  to  whose  memory  we 
have  met  to  pay  tribute  was  better  known  to  those  who  have 
spoken  than  to  myself.  They  knew  him  longer;  and  they 
knew  him  and  associated  with  him  and  learned  to  honor  him 
as  a  scholar  and  as  a  lawyer.  I  have  only  known  him  here 
in  the  Senate  as  an  earnest,  eminent  statesman;  and  here 
learned,  in  some  degree,  to  appreciate  his  devotion  to  the  great 
work  he  was  selected  to  perform. 

My  first  association  with  Senator  HOAR  commenced  only 
eight  years  ago,  when  I  was  made  a  member  of  the  Judiciary 
Committee,  of  which  he  was  the  chairman.  And  his  great 
ability  and  extraordinary  experience  in  Congress  most  natu 
rally  gave  him  the  capacity  as  well  as  an  inclination  to  govern. 

He  came  of  a  family  more  distinguished  for  the  number  of 
great  men  than  almost  any  other  American  stock;  and  it  was 
impossible  for  him  not  to  appreciate  the  fact  of  his  descent 
from  Roger  Sherman,  and  his  near  connection  with  so  many 
distinguished  men  descended  from  the  same  eminent  patriot 
of  the  Revolution. 

It  sometimes  happens  in  republics  like  ours  that  men  affect 
to  care  nothing  for  their  own  ancestry,  and  even  ridicule  others 
who  are  not  of  the  same  disposition.  But  the  American  does 
not  live  who  would  not  be  proud  of  the  fact  if  he  could  truth 
fully  state  that  his  ancestor  was  a  signer  of  our  Declaration 
of  Independence,  or  served  his  country  faithfully  in  our  Revo 
lutionary  war.  And  such  pride  should  be  cultivated.  It  makes 


Address  of  Mr,  Pet  (us,  of  Alabama  103 

patriots  and  heroes  by  stirring  the  ambition  of  young  men  to 
serve  their  country  with  all  their  power  in  peace  or  war,  .ml 
to  work  so  as  to  l>ecome  well  qualified  for  such  service.  It 
creates  that  spirit  of  high  and  heroic  daring  displayed  by 
England's  great  admiral  at  Trafalgar,  when  he  exclaimed: 
"Victory  or  Westminster  Abl>ey!"  and  gained  the  greatest 
naval  victory  and  a  most  honored  place  in  Westminster  Abbey 
on  the  same  day. 

You  have  in  this  Capitol  a  noble  chamber,  filling  and  to  be 
filled  with  bron/e  and  marble  statues  of  great  Americans. 
Why  did  you  dedicate  it  to  that  use?  To  honor  the  dead, 
surely,  but  not  merely  to  that  end;  it  was  also  to  fire  the  souls 
of  generations  living  and  to  come,  and  to  teach  them  that — 

Honest  toil  is  holy  service; 
Faithful  work  is  prayer  and  praise; 

and  that  no  labor  is  too  great,   no  danger  too  imminent,    no 
endurance  too  long  in  the  service  of  their  country,  if  they  aim 
to  be  among   those  honored  for  wise  and  faithful  counsel  or 
for  brave  and  noble  deeds. 
The  poet  has  said: 

Princes  and  lords  may  flourish  or  may  fade; 

A  breath  can  make  them,  as  a  breath  has  made. 

But  this  is  not  true  in  our  country.  Here  the  real  nobleman 
is  made  not  by  the  breath  of  a  king,  but  by  his  own  work. 

Senator  HOAR  no  doubt  inherited  strong  brain  power,  and 
he  improved  that  power  by  constant,  diligent  work,  and  the 
two  combined  made  him  the  eminent  statesman  he  was.  His 
brain  power  and  work  made  him  known  to  the  ]>eople  of  his 
State  when  he  was  a  young  man,  and  they  gave  him  full 
opportunity  for  obtaining  distinction  among  the  statesmen  of 
the  Union. 

He  was  of  the  highest  type  of  New  England  statesmen;  and 


104  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

he  served  his  State  faithfully  and  honestly  in  the  National 
Legislature  for  nearly  forty  years,  first  in  the  House  of  Rep 
resentatives  and  afterwards  in  the  Senate,  and  continuously. 
For  at  each  recurring  election  the  people  of  Massachusetts 
said  to  him,  "Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant!" 

They  knew  him  to  be  what  has  been  called  "the  noblest 
work"  of  God,"  and  they  knew  his  inherited  brain  force  and 
his  almost  unequaled  work,  and  they  loved  and  honored  him 
and  were  proud  of  him.  And  he  loved  them,  and  served 
them  with  a  devotion  and  diligence  never  surpassed. 


Address  of  Mr.  Gorman,  of  Maryland  105 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  GORMAN,  OF  MARYLAND 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  Again,  within  a  week,  \ve  gather  to  pay 
tribute  to  one  of  the  nation's  great  men  gone  to  rest.  This 
one  differed  in  many  respects  from  him  whose  memory  we 
celebrated  on  last  Saturday.  He  was  more  tolerant,  more 
optimistic.  His  sympathies  were  wider  and  less  deliberate. 
With  learning  carefully  and  richly  stored,  with  philosophies 
mellowed  by  observation,  with  judgments  shaped  by  charity 
and  love,  he  was  at  once  wise  and  kind,  enlightened  and 
indulgent,  firm  yet  eager  to  excuse.  His  beliefs  were  builded 
on  the  rock  of  deep  conviction.  His  standards  were  the 
growth  of  prayerful  and  conscientious  analysis. 

Equipped  with  a  keen  and  jxnietrating  intellect,  he  could 
make  allowances  for  those  less  gifted. 

A  man  of  pure  and  stainless  life,  he  could  feel  for  the 
victims  of  temptation.  Fixed  in  his  own  creed,  he  was  ever 
ready  to  recognize  the  sincerity  of  those  who  preached  a 
different  faith. 

It  was  GEORGE  F.  HOAR  who  said: 

If  I  were  to  select  the  man  of  all  others  with  whom  I  have  served  in  the 
Senate  who  seemed  to  me  the  most  perfect  example  of  the  quality  and 
character  of  the  American  Senator,  I  think  it  would  t>e  Edward  C.  Walthall, 
of  Mississippi. 

There  is  the  nature  and  the  measure  of  the  man. 

What  a  wonderful  career  was  his!  He  saw  the  American 
Union  grow  from  infancy  to  its  perfected  power  and  propor 
tions.  Almost  the  whole  procession  of  its  tragedies  and 
tumults  passed  beneath  his  eye.  Born  before  Andrew  Jackson 
became  President,  he  was  a  contemporary  of,  and  a  participant 


106  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

in,  all  the  great  national  crises  which  followed  the  Missouri 
Compromise  of  1850. 

Of  every  evolution  that  influenced  the  country's  destiny  he 
was  a  witness.  In  each  of  its  most  important  dramas  he  was 
an  actor.  During  his  lifetime  the  gigantic  problems,  born 
with  the  Republic  and  for  half  a  century  threatening  its 
very  existence,  were  carried,  if  often  through  blood  and 
terror  and  calamity,  to  permanent  solutions. 

He  was  a  factor  in  those  colossal  equations  which  reconciled 
the  incompatabilities  of  the  States'  rights  and  the  Federal 
philosophies.  He  took  part  in  the  supreme  perils  of  the 
slaver}'  agitation,  the  stupendous  civil  war  in  which  it  culmi 
nated,  and  the  crowning  anxieties  of  that  transition  from 
chaos  to  ordered  harmony  which  we  familiarly  describe  as 
the  period  of  reconstruction. 

It  may  be  said  of  him  that  he  saw  the  nation  emerge  from 
its  swaddling  clothes  and  grow  to  the  full  measure  of  the 
raiment  of  maturity  and  empire.  He  lived  to  hail  the  reali 
zation  of  his  patriotic  dream — of  the  only  passion  he  ever 
harbored  in  his  loyal  heart — the  definite  rehabilitation  of 
our  political  and  social  structure. 

He  was  throughout  it  all  a  man  of  infinite  compassion,  of 
comprehensive  sympathies,  of  noble  and  unselfish  impulse. 
He  W7as  a  partisan  without  rancor,  an  antagonist  without 
bitterness,  a  friend  without  reservations  and  conditions,  a 
conqueror  without  vengeance,  a  loser  without  resentment. 
He  passed  with  clean  hands  and  unstained  honor  through 
temptations  that  shook  the  souls  of  smaller  men.  He  gazed 
with  pure,  unclouded  brow  on  carnivals  of  profligacy  in  which 
proud  reputations  were  swept  away  and  long  lives  of  right 
eousness  went  out  in  degradation.  His  was  a  heart  where 
charity  abode  always.  He  recognized  the  virtue  of  his 


Address  of  Mr.  Gorman,  of  Maryland  107 

opponents;  he  never  claimed  perfection  for  himself  or  his 
coadjutors.  He  thought  first  of  his  country,  of  his  patriotic 
obligations,  and  next  of  his  party  and  his  private  welfare. 

And  his  is  a  career,  Mr.  President,  which  the  American 
youth  may  study  in  a  spirit  of  reverence  and  emulation.  It 
is  the  record  of  a  brilliant  and  a  noble  life.  It  constitutes 
another  of  those  glorious  and  l>eautiful  traditions  in  which 
the  Republic  is  already  so  fabulously  rich.  As  long  as  men 
admire  courage,  self-sacrifice,  devotion,  high  sense  of  duty, 
and  patriotism  attuned  to  martyrdom,  so  long  will  the  memory 
of  GKORGK  F.  HOAR  be  held  in  honor  and  affection. 


io8  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  DEPEW,  OF  NEW  YORX 

Mr.  PRESIDENT  :  It  is  asserted  by  many  writers  that  the 
Senate  has  seen  its  best  days.  They  claim  that  the  statesmen 
who  made  this  body  famous  in  the  earlier  periods  of  our  history 
have  not  had  any  successors  of  equal  merit  or  genius.  The 
Senate  does  not  change,  but  the  questions  which  it  must  discuss 
and  decide  are  new  with  each  generation.  There  is  a  broad 
distinction  between  the  elucidation  and  solving  of  problems 
which  relate  to  the  foundations  and  upbuilding  of  institutions, 
which  are  vital  to  their  preservation  and  perpetuity,  and  the 
materialistic  issues  of  finance,  commercialism,  and  industrial 
ism.  The  one  arouses  in  the  orator  every  faculty  of  his  mind, 
every  possibility  of  his  imagination,  every  aspiration  of  his 
soul,  and  every  emotion  of  his  heart,  while  the  others  demand 
mainly  the  aptitude  and  experience  of  the  college  professor  or 
the  expert  or  student  on  subjects  which  affect  the  fortunes  of 
the  factory,  the  mill,  the  furnace,  and  the  farm. 

Webster  could  command  the  attention  of  listening  Senates 
and  of  an  anxious  and  expectant  country  with  orations  which 
have  become  part  of  our  best  literature  and  educate  the  youth 
of  our  schools  on  interpretations  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  upon  which  depend  the  life  or  death  of  liberty. 
But  Webster  could  hold  only  temporary  interest  and  a  narrow 
audience  on  tariff  schedules  upon  wool  or  lumber,  upon  iron  or 
cotton  fabrics,  or  upon  bimetallism ,  or  the  single  standard. 
Hamilton  and  Jefferson  and  their  antagonistic  schools  were 
creating  with  little  precedent  to  guide  them  a  form  of  govern 
ment  in  which  liberty  and  law  would  give  the  largest  protection 


Address  of  Mr.  Dcpcin\  oj  New  York  109 

to  the  individual  citizen  and  maintain  order  and  promote  the 
greatest  happiness  of  the  mass.  The  one  believed  these  results 
could  best  l>e  obtained  by  centralized  power,  the  other  by  its 
distribution  among  the  States.  There  was  then  brought  into 
play  the  loftiest  creative  and  constructive  genius  which  the 
world  has  known. 

Webster,  Clay,  and  Calhoun,  the  Senatorial  triumvirate, 
who  attained  the  zenith  of  Senatorial  fame,  made  their  repu 
tations  and  that  of  this  body  upon  the  discussion  of  implied 
powers  in  the  Constitution,  affecting  not  only  the  nation's 
life  but  the  destruction  or  per]>etuity  of  human  slavery. 
Webster,  in  that  immortal  speech,  which  educated  millions  of 
our  youth  to  rush  to  arms  when  the  Republic  was  in  danger, 
preached  from  the  text  of  "Liberty  and  union,  now  and  for 
ever,  one  and  inseparable."  Calhoun  saw  clearly  the  extinc 
tion  of  slavery  with  the  growth  of  the  country,  and  brought 
to  the  defense  of  the  system  resources,  intellectual  and  log 
ical,  never  equaled ;  while  Clay  postponed  the  inevitable 
through  compromises,  which  were  adopted  because  of  his 
passionate  pleas  of  marvelous  eloquence  for  peace  and  unity. 
So  in  the  acute  stage  of  the  controversy,  which  resulted  in 
the  civil  war  and  ended  in  the  enfranchisement  of  the  slaves, 
Seward  here  and  Lincoln  on  the  platform,  were  appealing  to 
that  higher  law  ot  conscience,  which  uplifts  the  orator  and 
audience  to  a  spiritual  contemplation  of  things  material. 

Happily  the  work  of  the  founders  in  one  age  and  the 
saviors  in  another  has  left  to  us  mainly  the  development  upon 
industrial  lines  of  our  country's  resources  and  capabilities. 
We  produced  no  heroes  in  over  half  a  century,  and  yet  when 
the  war  drums  called  the  nation  to  arms,  Grant,  from  the 
tannery,  and  Lee,  from  a  humble  position  in  the  Army,  rose 
to  rank  among  the  great  captains  of  all  the  ages.  Had  the 


no  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

civil  war  never  occurred,  Grant  would  have  lived  a  peaceful 
and  modest  mercantile  life  in  a  country  town  of  Illinois,  and 
Lee  would  have  passed  the  evening  of  his  days  in  equal 
obscurity  upon  the  retired  list  of  the  United  States  Army. 
Better,  if  the  contest  can  be  honorably  averted,  that  a  hero 
should  never  be  known  than  that  his  discovery  should  be 
brought  about  by  the  calamities  of  war,  the  sacrifice  of  hun 
dreds  of  thousands  of  lives,  and  the  distress,  demoralization, 
and  devastation  of  civil  strife. 

We  pa>r  our  tribute  to-day  to  one  who  in  any  of  these  great 
periods  would  have  stood  beside  the  most  famous;  to  one  who, 
having  the  experience  of  a  longer  continuous  term  in  Congress 
than  any  other  citizen  of  Massachusetts  ever  enjo)7ed,  testified 
on  all  occasions  to  the  increasing  power,  growth,  and  benefi 
cent  influence  of  this  body,  and  to  the  ever-advancing  purity  of 
American  public  life.  His  education  and  opportunities,  his 
singularly  intimate  connection  with  the  glorious  past  and  the 
activities  of  the  present,  made  him  a  unique  and  in  a  measure 
an  isolated  figure.  He  was  educated  under  conditions  and  in 
surroundings  which  developed  for  the  public  service  conscience, 
heart,  and  imagination.  A  lawyer  of  the  first  rank  by  heredity, 
study,  and  practice,  he  nevertheless  approached  public  ques 
tions,  not  from  the  standpoint  of  the  pleader,  but  the  orator; 
not  as  an  advocate  with  a  brief,  but  as  a  patriot  with  a  mission. 
He  cast  his  first  vote  in  1847,  when  all  the  fire  of  his  youth 
had  been  aroused  by  the  slavery  agitation.  He  came  actively 
into  politics  the  year  after,  when  the  Democratic  party  had 
divided  into  the  Free  Soil  and  slavery  men,  and  the  Whig 
party  was  split  between  the  adherents  of  conscience  or  cotton. 
He  began  his  career  upon  the  platform  and  his  preparation  for 
the  public  service  as  a  conscience  Whig. 


Address  of  Mr.  Dcpcw,  of  New  York  \  1 1 

He  saw  the  preparation,  through  the  American  or  Know- 
Xothing  party,  in  which  Whigs  and  Democrats  were  acting 
together,  of  an  organization  upon  broader  lines.  Xo  one 
worked  harder  or  more  intelligently  for  the  fusion  of  men  of 
opposite  creeds  on  industrial  questions,  but  of  one  mind  in 
opposition  to  slavery,  into  a  National  Constitutional  Anti- 
slavery  party.  When  that  party  came  into  existence  in  1856 
with  a  Presidential  candidate  and  platform  it  had  no  more 
ardent  sponsor  for  its  faith  and  its  future  than  Senator  HOAR. 
A  party  whose  fundamental  creed  was  liberty  for  all  men  of 
every  race  and  color  appealed  to  the  poetic  and  sentimental 
side  of  our  friend  and  to  the  revolutionary  ideas  with  which 
he  was  saturated.  He  came  to  l>elieve  that  the  worst  which 
the  Republican  party  might  do  would  be  more  beneficial  to 
the  country  than  the  best  which  its  opponent  was  capable  of. 
Though  often  differing  from  his  party  associates,  his  combat 
was  to  accomplish  his  purposes  within  the  lines.  He  bowed 
to  the  will  of  the  majority  in  his  action,  without  surrender 
ing  his  individual  convictions  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  policy. 
He  claimed,  and  with  much  reason,  that  the  party  had  come 
after  repeated  trials,  in  many  instances,  to  his  way  of  think 
ing,  and  if  those  who  went  outside  of  the  breastworks  and 
lost  all  influence  had  remained  with  him  his  ideas  would 
sooner  have  been  adopted.  We  have  here  the  explanation 
of  the  only  criticism  which  has  ever  l>een  passed  upon  his 
public  acts.  As  in  the  Philippine  and  Panama  questions, 
where  his  eloquence  gave  comfort  to  the  opposition  and 
grieved  his  friends,  his  votes  supported  the  position  of  the 
majority  and  the  policies  of  the  Administration. 

It  was  a  high  privilege  to  be  a  member  of  the  Judiciary  Com 
mittee  of  the  Senate  under  his  chairmanship.  It  was  a  couit 


ii2  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

presided  over  by  a  great  lawyer.  With  courteous  deference  to 
the  members,  bills  were  sent  to  subcommittees,  but  when  the 
subcommittee  made  its  report  they  found  that  the  questions 
had  been  exhaustively  examined  before  by  the  chairman.  The 
subcommittee  which  had  perfunctorily  done  its  work  received, 
in  the  form  of  a  polite  statement  and  exposition  of  the  case,  the 
report  which,  if  they  had  attended  to  their  duties,  they  ought 
to  have  made.  This  work  required  not  only  vast  legal  knowl 
edge  and  accurate  judgment,  but  prodigious  industry.  It  was 
that  rare  condition  of  mind  where  work  becomes  a  habit,  and 
with  Senator  HOAR,  when  the  committee  or  the  Senate  or  law 
or  literature  failed  to  give  him  occupation  he  would  pass  the 
idle  hours  in  translating  Thucydides  or  some  other  Greek  author 
into  English. 

In  the  examination  at  the  close  of  the  last  session,  before  the 
Committee  on  Privileges  and  Elections,  of  the  president  and 
apostles  of  the  Mormon  Church,  himself  a  close  student  of  all 
theologies  and  an  eminent  Unitarian,  he  was  aroused  by  the 
claim  of  divine  inspiration  for  the  words  and  acts  of  the  Mormon 
apostles.  He  drew  from  President  Smith  the  statement  that 
the  action  of  his  predecessor,  President  Woodruff,  in  reversing 
the  doctrine  of  polygamy,  heretofore  held  by  the  church,  was 
directly  inspired  by  God,  and  then  made  him  testify  that, 
though  living  under  the  inspiration  of  the  presidency  of  the 
church,  he  was  also  living  in  direct  violation  of  that  revelation 
by  remaining  a  polygamist.  In  the  course  of  a  long  cross- 
examination  he  drew  from  Apostle  Lyman  statements  of 
doctrine  and  beliefs,  and  subsequently  contradictions  of  these 
positions,  and  then  forced  the  apostle  to  swear  that  both  the 
assertion  and  the  contradiction  were  inspired  by  God. 

At  the  age  of  43  he  was  at  the  crossroads  of  his  career. 
He  had  reached  a  position  at  the  bar  which  placed  within 


Address  of  Mr.  Depcw,  of  Neiv  York  1 1 3 

his  grasp  the  highest  rewards  of  the  profession  of  the  law. 
The  country  was  entering  upon  an  era  of  speculation,  of 
railroad  building,  the  bankruptcy  and  reorganization  of  com 
binations  of  capital  in  the  creation  and  consolidation  of 
corporations,  which  called  for  the  highest  talents  and  the 
best  equipment  of  lawyers.  Questions  as  to  the  power  of  the 
General  Government  over  corporations  created  by  States  and 
the  powers  of  the  States  as  to  limitations  and  confiscations 
of  corporations  engaged  in  interstate  commerce  interested 
capital  and  labor,  shippers  and  investors.  The  largest  fees 
and  fortunes  ever  known  in  the  history  of  the  practice  of 
the  law  came  to  those  who  demonstrated  their  ability  during 
these  wonderful  years.  On  the  threshold  of  this  temple  of 
fortune  and  fame  at  the  bar  Mr.  HOAR  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate.  He  knew  that  he  lived  in  a  State 
whose  traditions  were  to  keep  its  public  men  who  merited 
its  confidence  continuously  in  Congress.  He  felt  that  in  the 
great  questions  still  unsolved  which  had  grown  out  of  the 
civil  war  and  the  marvelous  development  of  the  country  he 
could  perform  signal  public  sen-ice.  His  decision  was  made. 
The  courts  lost  a  great  lawyer,  the  Senate  gained  a  great 
statesman,  and  he  lived  and  died  a  poor  man. 

I  spent  a  memorable  night  with  Mr.  Gladstone  when  in  a 
reminiscent  mood,  and  with  a  masterful  discrimination  and 
eloquence  he  conversed  upon  the  traditions  of  the  House  of 
Commons  during  the  sixty  years  of  his  membership.  As  the 
stately  procession  of  historic  men  and  measures  came  into 
view,  they  were  inspired  by  the  speaker  with  all  the  charac 
teristics  and  methods  of  their  period.  The  changes  which 
had  occurred  were  detailed  by  a  master  who  loved  and  revered 
the  Commons.  Senator  HOAR  would  do  this  for  the  thirty- 
seven  years  of  his  activities  in  Congress,  but  with  a  wit  and 
S.  Doc.  201,  5-H-3 8 


114  Life  and  Character  of  George  F,  Hoar 

humor  which  Gladstone  lacked.  He  remembered  the  sarcasm, 
or  the  ridicule,  or  the  epigram,  or  the  witticism,  or  the  illus 
tration  which  had  not  only  illumed  but  ended  the  debate,  and 
the  opposing  debater. 

We  read  with  wonder  of  the  nights  when  Samuel  Johnson 
gathered  about  him  Goldsmith  and  Burke  and  Reynolds  and 
Garrick  ;  and  Boswell  could  make  immortal  volumes  of  their 
conversations,  especially  at  this  time  when  conversation  is 
becoming  a  lost  art,  because  the  shop  has  invaded  the  drawing- 
room  and  the  dinner  table,  and  cards  have  captured  society. 

But  Senator  HOAR  knew  his  favorites  among  the  Greek  and 
Roman  classics,  and  the  Bible  and  Shakespeare  by  heart.  He 
could  quote  with  a  familiarity  of  frequent  reading  and  retentive 
memory  from  the  literature  of  the  period  of  Queen  Elizabeth 
and  of  Queen  Anne,  as  well  as  the  best  of  modern  authors,  and 
he  was  a  member  of  that  coterie  which  met  weekly  at  Parker's, 
in  Boston,  where  Longfellow,  Hawthorne,  Whittier,  and  others 
reproduced  for  our  day,  and  in  better  form,  the  traditions  of 
the  Johnsonian  Parliament,  and  where  the  Senator  and  his 
brother  were  the  quickest  and  the  wittiest  of  the  crowd. 

Whether  in  conversation  or  debate  there  never  has  been  in 
the  American  Congress  a  man  so  richly  cultured  and  with  all 
his  culture  so  completely  at  command. 

The  statesmen  of  the  Revolution  were  with  Senator  HOAR 
living  realities.  The  men  of  the  present  \vere  passing  figures, 
fading  into  obscurity,  compared  with  these  immortals.  In  a 
remarkable  speech  he  said  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration: 
"We,  not  they,  are  the  shadows."  On  his  father's  side,  his 
grandfather,  two  great-grandfathers,  and  three  uncles  were  in 
Lincoln's  company  at  Concord  Bridge,  and  his  mother  was  a 
daughter  of  Roger  Sherman,  whom  he  thought  the  wisest  and 
ablest  of  the  members  of  the  Continental  Congress.  He  was 


Address  of  Mr.  Dcpew,  of  New  York  115 

the  only  person  who  signed  all  four  of  the  great  state  papers 
to  which  the  signatures  of  the  Delegates  of  the  different 
Colonies  were  attached:  The  Association  of  1774,  the  Articles 
of  Confederation,  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States. 

His  mother  rememl>ered,  as  a  little  girl,  sitting  on  Washing 
ton's  knee  and  hearing  him  talk,  and  her  sister,  the  mother 
of  William  M.  Evarts,  when  a  child  of  11,  opened  the  door 
for  General  Washington  as  he  was  leaving  the  house  after  his 
visit  to  her  father,  Roger  Sherman.  The  General,  with  his 
stately  courtesy,  "put  his  hand  on  her  head  and  said,  'My 
little  lady,  I  wish  you  a  better  office.'  She  dropped  a  courtesy 
and  answered,  quick  as  lightning,  'Yes,  sir;  to  let  you  in.' 
He  lived  all  his  life  in  this  atmosphere  of  his  youth.  The 
marvelous  results  of  the  working  of  the  principles  of  the 
charter  framed  in  the  cabin  of  the  Mayflou'cr  for  "just  and 
equal  laws,"  and  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  in  the 
development  of  orderly  liberty  for  his  countrymen,  convinced 
him  that  the  same  rights  and  privileges  would  end  as  happily, 
after  trial,  with  the  negroes  of  the  South  and  the  people  of  the 
Philippine  Islands  and  of  the  Russian  Kmpire.  It  was  a  matter 
with  him,  not  of  pride  or  boastf illness,  but  of  sustaining  power 
under  the  responsibilities  that  in  every  Congress  from  the 
beginning  had  been  a  representative  of  the  Sherman  clan.  I 
was  distantly  related  to  him  by  the  same  tie,  and  he  exhibited 
an  elder  brotherly  and  almost  fatherly  watchfulness  and  care 
for  me  when  I  entered  the  Senate. 

His  cousins,  William  M.  Kvarts  and  Roger  Minot  Sherman, 
were  the  foremost  advocates  of  their  periods,  his  father 
eminent  at  the  bar,  and  his  brother  Attorney-General  of  the 
United  States,  and  yet  he  would  have  been  the  equal  of 
either  as  a  lawyer  if  he  had  climbed  for  its  leadership.  It 


ii 6  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

has  been  the  high  privilege  of  his  colleagues  here  to  meet, 
converse,  work,  and  debate  with  a  Mayflower  Puritan, 
possessed  of  all  the  culture  and  learning  of  the  twentieth 
century,  but  with  the  virtues,  the  prejudices,  the  likes  and 
dislikes,  the  vigor  and  courage  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers, 
neither  softened  nor  weakened  by  the  looseness  of  creeds  nor 
the  luxury  of  living  of  to-day.  As  our  friend  the  Senator 
from  Massachusetts  [Mr.  Lodge]  said  in  his  most  discrimi 
nating  and  eloquent  eulogy — the  best,  I  think,  I  have  ever 
heard  as  a  tribute  of  an  associate  and  friend — Senator  HOAR 
would  have  died  like  a  martyr  for  his  principles.  In  1850 
he  delivered  a  speech  in  Mechanics'  Hall,  at  Worcester,  upon 
the  evils  of  slavery  and  the  crime  of  its  extension  into  the 
Territories,  which  attracted  general  attention  and  was  widely 
published.  Fifty-four  years  afterwards  he  was  again  before 
an  audience  in  Mechanics'  Hall,  composed  of  the  children 
and  grandchildren  of  the  first. 

The  dread  summons  had  then  come  to  him,  and  he  had 
but  few  days  to  live.  The  old  warrior  spoke  with  the  fire 
of  his  early  manhood,  but  his  message  to  his  neighbors  and 
countrymen,  after  a  half  century,  was  not  of  war,  as  before, 
but  of  peace,  love,  and  triumph.  The  progress  and  develop 
ment  of  the  Republic  during  these  fifty  years  of  liberty  was 
his  theme.  He  looked  joyously  upon  the  past  and  present 
and  was  full  of  hope  and  confidence  for  the  future.  He  had 
finished  his  work  and  performed  a  great  part  in  great  events 
of  great  moment  for  his  country  and  humanity,  and  he  left 
to  his  contemporaries  and  posterity  the  brilliant  example  of 
a  life  nobly  lived. 


Address  of  Mr.  McComas,  of  Maryland           1 1 7 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  MCCOMAS,  OF  MARYLAND 

Mr.  PKKSIDKNT:  The  Senate  dedicated  this  day  to  the 
memory  of  a  great  Senator.  Massachusetts  sent  the  younger 
Adams,  Webster,  Choate,  and  Simmer,  and  later  sent  OKORGE 
KKISKIK  HOAR  to  the  greatest  legislative  body  in  the  \vo:ld. 
Those  great  names  belong  to  the  whole  country,  and  Senator 
HOAR'S  fame  forever  associates  his  name  with  that  illustrious 
company.  He,  too,  has  become  an  historic  figure.  His  death 
robs  Massachusetts  of  her  foremost  citizen  and  takes  away 
from  the  nation  its  highest  examplar  of  the  scholar  and 
statesman.  Without  distinction  of  party,  creed,  or  color,  the 
whole  people  lament  their  great  loss. 

This  Senate  Chamber  was  the  place  of  his  achievement  and 
renown  during  a  third  of  a  century.  In  the  last  year  of  his 
life  he  wrote:  "I  had  an  infinite  longing  for  my  home  and 
my  profession  and  my  library.  Hut  the  fates  sent  me  to  the 
Senate,  and  have  kept  me  there,  until  I  am  now  the  man 
longest  in  continuous  legislative  .service  in  this  country,  and 
have  served  in  the  United  States  Senate  longer  than  any 
other  man  who  has  represented  Massachusetts. "  He  came  to 
the  House  in  1869.  He  was  promoted  to  the  Senate  eight 
years  later,  and  served  until  his  death  in  1904.  At  the  cen 
tennial  celebration  of  the  establishment  of  the  seat  of  govern 
ment  at  Washington,  which  occurred  in  the  first  year  of  this 
new  century,  he  spoke  eloquently  of  the  leading  statesmen  of 
the  last  century,  and  especially  of  those  who  were  his  con 
temporaries;  and  his  closing  words  proved  personally  prophetic. 
"Their  work,  "  he  said,  "is  almost  done.  Thev  seem  to 


ii8  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

survive  for  a  brief  period  only  that  the  new  century  may  clasp 
hands  with  the  old,  and  that  they  may  bring  to  the  future  the 
benediction  of  the  past." 

After  a  period  all  too  brief  he,  too,  passed  away,  a  veteran 
statesman  whose  life  work  was  done. 

In  those    last  years,   unmindful  of   his  age,   with   unfailing 
vigor,  with  unrivaled  brilliancy  of  speech,  inspired  by  a  love 
of   liberty  which    was   inbred,   he  waged    continuous    warfare 
upon  the  Administration's  Philippine  policy,  which  has  been 
approved   by  the    country,   and,   as    I    believe,   by  its   results. 
Those   of    us    who   differed    with  Senator    HOAR    about    that., 
great  issue  were  compelled  to  admire  his  lofty  eloquence,  his/ 
keen  wit  and  repartee,   his    learning,   his   resourcefulness,   his,' 
high   ideals,   his  courage,   and   his   loyalty  to  his  convictions. 
He  obeyed  his  conscience  in  scorn  of  consequence. 

A  popular  and  long-trusted  leader  of  his  part}-  in  the 
Senate,  he  suffered  with  fortitude  the  pain  of  separation  from 
the  associates  of  a  lifetime,  because  he  believed  his  party 
had  departed  from  the  path  of  Simmer  and  Lincoln. 

It  may  be  there  is  something  in  the  New  England  envi 
ronment  to  account  for  the  unbroken  line  of  New  England 
statesmen,  now  gone,  who  have  successively  in  each  genera 
tion  opposed  every  expansion  of  the  territory  of  the  Republic. 
It  is  fortunate  for  the  country,  as  I  believe,  that  the  most 
eminent  living  statesmen  of  New  England  have  been  in 
sympathy  with  the  whole  country  in  its  latest  territorial 
expansions,  have  been  potential  in  its  beginnings,  its  devel 
opment,  and  its  successes. 

Senator  HOAR  was  the  last  of  the  conspicuous  leaders  who 
joined  in  the  great  movement  that  abolished  slavery.  To 
him  the  Republican  party  was  the  last  child  of  freedom.  In 
one  of  the  most  valuable  and  most  charming  autobiographies 


Address  of  Mr.  Me  Comas,  of  Maryland          119 

of  modern  times,  he  tells  us,  "I  became  of  age  at  just 
about  the  time  when  the  Free  Soil  party,  which  was  the 
Republican  party  in  another  form,  was  born.  In  a  very 
humble  capacity  I  stood  by  its  cradle.  It  awakened  in  my 
heart  in  early  youth  all  the  enthusiasm  of  which  my  nature 
was  capable,  an  enthusiasm  which  from  that  day  to  this  has 
never  grown  cold.  No  ]x>litical  party  in  history  was  ever 
formed  for  objects  so  great  and  noble.  And  no  political 
party  in  history  was  ever  so  great  in  its  accomplishment  for 
liberty,  progress,  and  law." 

The  Senator  voices  thus  the  Puritan  sentiment  of  his  great 
State.  He  loved  the  Puritans  and  he  loved  his  State.  His 
family  name  through  seven  generations  belongs  to  the  list  of 
Massachusetts  worthies.  Some  of  his  ancestors  were  illustrious 
Americans.  Said  he:  "I  am  descended  from  the  early 
Puritans  of  Massachusetts  in  every  line  of  descent."  It  is  not 
strange  that  the  sense  of  justice  and  of  liberty  in  Senator  HOAR 
instinctively  opposed  in  a  material  age  the  selfishness  of  com 
mercialism.  Again  and  again  he  offered  moral  and  poetic 
protest  against  the  materialistic  standards  of  our  day. 

He  defended  the  right  of  asylum  of  the  Chinese  upon  our^ 
soil.  He  espoused  the  cause  of  the  insurgent  Filipinos  because 
of  his  concern  for  their  liberties  and  because  he  feared  our 
possession  of  the  Philippine  Archipelago  meant  its  commercial 
exploitation.  He  was  at  all  times  solicitous  for  the  welfare  of 
our  Indian  wards.  He  was  the  ever-ready  champion  of  the 
colored  race,  their  sure  friend  in  their  helplessness,  their 
sympathizer  in  their  advancement.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
Senator  HOAR  was  incapable  of  prejudice  against  man  or 
woman,  race  or  creed. 

The  product  of  Concord  and  of  Harvard,  the  friend  of 
Emerson,  the  great  Senator  was  essentially  a  liberal  in  faith 


1 20  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

and  opinion.  He  fought  religious  prejudice.  He  urged  his 
Protestant  countrymen  not  to  forget  that  the  religious  perse 
cution  of  which  they  cherished  the  bitter  memory  was  the 
result  of  the  spirit  of  the  age,  and  not  of  one  form  of  religious 
faith.  A  year  ago  in  the  Senate,  in  the  speech  to  which  the 
distinguished  Senator  from  New  York  [Mr.  Depew]  has  so 
recently  and  so  eloquently  made  reference,  he  spoke  of  Charles 
Carroll,  the  last  of  the  signers.  Said  Senator  HOAR:  "Charles 
Carroll  was  a  devoted  Catholic.  He  belonged  to  that  church 
which  preserved  for  mankind  religion,  learning,  literature,  and 
law  through  the  gloom}-  centuries  known  as  the  Dark  Ages. 
Yet  it  is  the  only  denomination  of  Christians  against  which 
anything  of  theological  bitterness  or  bigotry  seems  to  have  sur 
vived  amid  the  liberality  of  our  enlightened  day." 

To  weigh  the  career  of  a  great  Senator  by  the  statutes 
associated  with  his  name  is  to  weigh  his  merits  by  the 
apothecary's  scales.  We  may  not  recall  Senator  HOAR'S 
paternity  of  the  Presidential  succession  act  or  his  part  in 
fashioning  the  bankruptcy  law,  or  the  antitrust  law,  or  his 
share  in  framing  or  amending  a  hundred  important  measures. 
\Ye  can  never  forget  his  love  of  country,  which  was  a  passion, 
the  many  laborious  inspiring' years  he  devoted  to  his  country's 
service,  his  great  intellectual  powers,  his  learning,  his  culture, 
his  profound  knowledge  of  his  country's  history,  his  oratory, 
his  lofty  character,  his  pure  and  noble  life. 

Senator  HOAR  was  the  best  example  of  the  scholar  in  public 
life.  He  was  the  most  scholarly  statesman;  he  loved  learning; 
he  loved  books.  His  long  experience  in  great  affairs,  his  keen 
habit  of  observation,  saved  him  from  overestimating  the  value 
of  books,  yet  it  was  ever  a  delight  to  hear  him  talk  about 
books.  When  he  tells  us  of  days  spent  in  London  in  exam 
ining  precious  old  books  and  rare  editions,  he  adds:  "The 


Address  of  Mr.  Me  Comas,  of  Mary  land  121 

ex]>erience  was  like  having  in  my  hands  the  costliest  rubies 
and  diamonds. ' ' 

Machiavelli,  of  such  sinister  renown,  and  our  great  American 
Senator,  of  such  high  mind  and  stainless  life,  were  as  wide 
apart  as  the  centuries  which  separate  tkeir  careers.  Hut 
Senator  HOAR  at  Worcester  might  have  written  a  letter  to  a 
friend  very  like  that  in  which  Machiavelli  gives  a  friend  of  his 
a  picture  of  himself  and  of  his  daily  life  at  San  Casciano: 
"Hut  when  evening  falls  I  go  home  and  enter  my  writing 
room.  On  the  threshold  I  put  off  my  country  habit,  and 
array  myself  in  royal  courtly  garments.  Thus  worthily  attired 
I  make  my  entrance  into  the  ancient  courts  of  the  men  of  old, 
where  they  receive  me  with  love,  and  where  I  feed  upon  that 
food  which  only  is  my  own  and  for  which  I  was  born.  I  feel 
no  shame  in  conversing  with  them  and  asking  them  the  reason 
of  their  actions.  They,  moved  by  their  humanity,  make 
answer;  for  four  hours'  space  I  feel  no  annoyance,  forget  all 
care;  poverty  can  not  frighten  nor  death  appall  me.  I  am 
carried  away  to  their  society." 

In  like  glorious  company  during  his  long  and  lalx>rious  life 
Senator  HOAR  found  solace  and  delight.  He  shared  that 
ecstasy.  It  was  therefore  a  characteristic  utterance  when  he 
said:  "If  one  were  now  to  place  in  my  hands,  as  a  gift,  a 
million  of  dollars,  I  doubt  whether  it  would  produce  in  me 
any  unusual  emotion." 

I  have  carefully  observed  the  Senate  for  twenty -odd  years. 
It  is  my  belief  that  there  are  usually  comparatively  few  rich 
men  among  its  members,  and  those  often  work  hardest.  If 
they  are  rich  they  do  not  forget  to  toil  terribly.  Most  of  its 
members  are  usually  men  of  modest  income,  who  might  have 
gained  riches  in  private  station.  Some  are  poor  men.  It  is 
well  with  the  Republic  while  this  remains  true  of  this  Senate. 


122  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

It  is  well  that  near  the  close  of  his  long  career  Senator  HOAR, 
in  proud  humility,  wrote,  "during  all  this  time  I  have  never 
been  able  to  hire  a  house  in  Washington.  My  wife  and  I 
have  experienced  the  varying  fortune  of  Washington  board 
ing  houses,  sometimes  very  comfortable,  and  a  good  deal  of 
the  time  living  in  a  fashion  to  which  no  mechanic  earning 
two  dollars  a  day  would  subject  his  household."  The  con 
solations  he  sorely  needed  he  found  in  higher  things. 

In  this  material  age,  when  the  pursuit  of  money  is  so 
eager,  so  general,  and  so  often  successful,  the  memory  of 
the  life  of  our  great  Senator,  as  we  now  look  back  upon  it, 
comes  upon  a  people  struggling  for  great  accumulation,  with 
that  "unrest  which  men  miscall  delight,"  like  a  benediction. 
"  Tenui  musam  meditamur  avena." 

That  noble  life  has  ended,  and  when  we  sum  up  what  he 
has  done,  when  we  see  how  important,  how  useful,  how 
varied,  has  been  the  work  of  his  life,  we  exult  while  we 
lament.  Scholar,  statesman,  patriot,  poor  in  worldly  fortune, 
he  accepted  and  fulfilled  a  vow  of  poverty,  to  give  the  best 
years  of  his  life  to  his  country,  and  yet  he  died  one  of  the 
richest  of  men  in  treasures  that  are  priceless. 


of  J/r.  Crane,  of  Massachusetts          123 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  CRANE,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr.  PRESIDENT:  I  can  not  hope  to  add  anything  to  the 
eloquent  and  heartfelt  tributes  which  have  just  been  paid  to 
the  memory  of  the  Hon.  OKORGK  FRISBIK  HOAR  by  those 
who  have  l>een  so  long  ass(x:iated  with  him  in  public  lite. 
Such  long  and  intimate  association  has  enabled  them  to  speak 
truthfully  and  convincingly  of  his  great  ability,  his  ripe  schol 
arship,  his  exalted  patriotism,  his  broad  statesmanship,  and 
the  great  value  of  his  services  in  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States.  When  it  l>ecame  known  that  his  life  was  ended  the 
people  of  his  State  were  touched  by  the  messages  of  love  and 
sympathy  which  came  from  all  sections  of  our  country,  and  they 
will  deeply  appreciate  the  words  of  sincere  affection,  respect, 
and  admiration  spoken  here  to-day  by  his  fellow-Senators. 

The  people  of  Massachusetts  -had  faith  in  Senator  HOAR. 
They  knew  that  his  ideals  were  high,  that  he  was  always 
actuated  by  a  sense  of  duty,  that  his  sole  aim  was  to  do  what 
he  l>elieved  to  l>e  right.  He  always  served  them  with  absolute 
fidelity.  Not  for  one  moment  during  his  long  career  did  he 
lose  their  confidence.  They  never  questioned  his  devotion  to 
principle. 

It  has  l>een  truthfully  said  that  no  man  was  nearer  to  th$ 
great  lieart  of  Massachusetts  than  Senator  HOAR.  Throughout 
our  Commonwealth  there  is  a  deep  sense  of  personal  loss. 
The  sorrow  is  genuine.  Grief  at  his  death,  however,  is  not  at 
all  restricted  to  party  or  State.  You  all  know  how  he  loved 
his  home  and  his  State,  with  what  pride  and  affection  he 


124  I-tfc  an(t  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

always  referred  to  his  beloved  Massachusetts,  but  he  believed 
that  the  man  who  loves  his  household  and  his  kindred  and  his 
town  and  his  State  best  will  love  his  country  best,  and  his  life 
was  given  not  to  his  home  and  his  State  alone,  but  to  his 
country. 

One  of  the  characteristics  which  made  Senator  HOAR  so 
much  respected  and  beloved  was  his  freedom  from  race  or  creed 
prejudice.  With  all  his  might  he  hated  bigotry  and  intoler 
ance.  Narrowness  and  petty  prejudice  were  abhorrent  to 
him,  and  he  never  hesitated  to  denounce  them.  It  is  not  sur 
prising,  therefore,  that  his  death  has  been  recognized  by  all 
citizens,  regardless  of  race  or  religion  or  politics,  as  a  national 
calamity. 

Senator  HOAR  had  not  only  a  great  brain  but  a  great  heart. 
His  sympathies  were  world- wide,  and  he  was  recognized  as 
a  friend  of  the  oppressed,  not  only  in  his  own  country  -but 
throughout  the  world.  Injustice  and  tyranny  wherever  found 
excited  his  deepest  indignation,  and  his  heart  went  out  to  all 
peoples  struggling  for  liberty«and  independence. 

To-day  there  is  mourning,  deep  and  sincere,  but  we  can  even 
now  rejoice  because  of  the  record  he  has  made.  It  is  without 
stain.  He  wat>  one  of  those  who  served  his  fellow-men,  and  the 
world  is  happier  and  better  because  he  has  lived  in  it.  We 
rejoice  because  during  all  of  his  long  life  he  was  true  to  the 
highest  standards.  We  are  thankful  for  his  brave,  pure,  and 
noble  life,  for  it  will  be  an  inspiration  to  his  countrymen  during 
all  the  years  that  are  to  come. 

Mr.  President,  I  ask  for  the  adoption  of  the  resolution  I  send 
to  the  desk. 

The  PRESIDENT  pro  tempore.  The  resolution  submitted  by 
the  junior  Senator  from  Massachusetts  will  be  read. 


Address  of  Mr.  Crane,  of  Massachusetts          125 

The  Secretary  read  the  resolution,  as  follows: 

Resolred,  That  as  a  further  mark  of  resjxrct  to  the  deceased  the  Senate 
do  now  adjourn. 

The  PRESIDENT  pro  tempore.  The  question  is  on  agreeing 
to  the  resolution. 

The  resolution  was  unaninously  agreed  to;  and  the  Senate 
(at  4  o'clock  and  30  minutes  p.  in.  )  adjourned  until  Monday, 
January  30,  1905,  at  12  o'clock  meridian. 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  HOUSE 

DECEMBER  5,  1904. 

MESSAGE    FROM    THE    SENATE. 

A  message  from  the  Senate,  by  Mr.  Parkinson,  its  reading 
clerk,  announced  that  the  Senate  had  passed  the  following 
resolutions: 

A'eso/i'eif ,  That  the  Senate  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of  the  death 
of  the  Hon.  dEORGK  F.  HOAR,  late  a  Senator  from  the  State  of  Massa 
chusetts. 

A't'so/Z'cd,  That  the  Secretary  communicate  a  copy  of  these  resolutions 
to  the  House  of  Representatives. 

A't'solivd,  That  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  two 
Senators  whose  deaths  have  just  been  announced  the  Senate  do  now 
adjourn. 

DEATH    OF    SENATOR    HOAR. 

Mr.  GiiXETT,  of  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Speaker,  it  is  my  pain 
ful  duty,  representing  the  Massachusetts  delegation,  to  make 
official  announcement  to  the  House  of  the  death  of  Senator 
GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR,  at  his  home  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  on 
the  3Oth  of  September  last. 

The  details  of  his  long  illness  were  doubtless  familiar  to  you 
all,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  in  all  parts  of  the  country  you 
sympathized  with  the  }>eople  of  Massachusetts  in  the  loss  of 
their  distinguished  lawyer,  scholar,  orator,  statesman,  patriot, 
and  philanthropist.  Precedent  does  not  permit  now  any 
attempt  to  express  our  feelings  of  sorrow  at  his  death  or  pride 
in  his  life,  but  at  a  fitting  time  we  shall  ask  that  the  House  set 
aside  a  day  for  the  consideration  of  his  character  and  his  public 

127 


128  Proceedings  in  the  House 

services.      I  move  the  adoption  now  of  the  resolution  which   I 
send  to  the  Clerk's  desk. 
The  Clerk  read  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  House  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of  the  death 
of  the  Hon.  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR,  a  vSenator  of  the  United  States  from 
the  State  of  Massachusetts. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the  memories  of  the  late 
Senators  QUAY  and  HOAR  the  House  do  now  adjourn. 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  communicate  these  resolutions  to  the  Senate 
and  transmit  a  copy  thereof  to  the  families  of  the  deceased  Senators. 

The  resolution  was  agreed  to;  and  accordingly  (at  12  o'clock 
and  52  minutes)  the  House  adjourned  until  to-morrow  at  12 
o'clock  noon. 

JANUARY  30,  1905. 

MEMORIAL  ADDRESSES  OX  THE  LATE  SENATOR  GEORGE 
FRISBIE  HOAR. 

Mr.  LOVE  RING.  Mr.  Speaker,  I  ask  unanimous  consent  that 
Sunday,  February  12,  at  12  o'clock,  be  set  apart  for  paying 
tribute- to  the  Hon.  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR,  late  United  States 
Senator  from  Massachusetts. 

The  SPEAKER.  The  gentleman  from  Massachusetts  asks 
unanimous  consent  that  Sunday,  the  i2th  of  February,  at  12 
o'clock,  be  set  apart  for  memorial  services  to  the  late  Senator 
HOAR  of  Massachusetts.  Is  there  objection?  [After  a  pause.] 
The  Chair  hears  none.  Of  course,  by  unanimous  consent  the 
House  meets  on  Sunday;  that  is  implied  in  the  request. 


MEMORIAL  ADDRESSES 

Sl'XDAV,  1'cbrnarv  /2, 

The  House  met  at    u  o'clock   in. 

Mr.  William  J.  Browning.  Chief  Clerk,  announced  that  the 
Shaker  had  designated  Hon.  George  P.  Lawrence  as  Speaker 
pro  tempore  for  this  day. 

The  Chaplain,  the  Rev.  Henry  X.  Coiulen,  I).  I).,  offered 
the  following  prayer: 

Eternal  Spirit,  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  in  response  to  a 
beautiful  and  long-established  custom,  we  are  assembled  here 
to-day  in  memory  of  one  who  served  his  country  long  and 
well  in  txrth  branches  of  the  National  Congress,  and  who, 
though  dead,  still  lives  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen: 
whose  lips,  though  hushed,  still  speak  in  eloquence  for  the 
downtrodden  and  oppressed;  whose  heart,  though  still,  yet 
throbs  in  the  life  of  his  nation.  A  scholar,  a  patriot,  a 
statesman,  broad  in  his  conceptions,  firm  in  his  convictions, 
with  unbounded  faith  in  God  and  man.  We  honor  him  for 
what  he  did,  and  yet  more  for  what  he  was.  Gentle,  sweet, 
tender  in  his  home,  revered  by  his  friends,  beloved  by  his 
neightxjrs.  honored  by  his  fellow-citi/ens.  We  are  not  here  to 
mourn,  though  he  will  be  missed  by  those  near  and  dear  to 
him,  by  his  friends,  and  in  the  councils  of  the  nation;  but 
rather  let  us  rejoice  that  he  lived  and  wrought  and  left  l>ehind 
him  the  memory  of  a  character  worthy  of  all  emulation.  Peace 
to  his  ashes  and  youth  to  his  soul,  which  we  dare  to  hope 
sweeps  on  in  unbroken  continuity  to  larger  conquests  and 
greater  victories  in  the  realms  of  eternal  day. 

S.  Doc.  201,  58-3 9  129 


130  Memorial  Addresses 

Inspire  the  minds  and  hearts  of  those  who  shall  speak  here 
to-day  of  his  deeds  and  character,  and  God  grant  that,  depart 
ing,  we  shall  leave  the  world  a  little  better  that  we  have  lived 
and  wrought;  and  everlasting  praise  be  Thine,  through  Jesus 
Christ,  our  Lord.  Amen. 

The  Journal  of  the  proceedings  of  yesterday  was  read  and 
approved. 

Mr.  L,OVERIXG.  Mr.  Speaker,  I  offer  the  following  resolu 
tions. 

The  SPEAKER  pro  tempore.  The  gentleman  from  Massa 
chusetts  offers  the  following  resolutions,  which  the  Clerk  will 
report. 

The  Clerk  read  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That,  in  pursuance  of  the  special  order  heretofore  adopted, 
the  House  proceed  to  pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Hon.  GEORGE  FRISBIE 
HOAR,  late  a  Senator  from  the  State  of  Massachusetts. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  particular  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the 
deceased,  and  in  recognition  of  his  eminent  abilities  as  a  faithful  and 
distinguished  public  servant,  the  House,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  hiemo- 
rial  proceedings  of  this  day,  shall  stand  adjourned. 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  communicate  these  resolutions  to  the  Senate. 

Resoli'ed,  That  the  Clerk  be,  and  is  hereby,  instructed  to  send  a  copy 
of  these  resolutions  to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

The  question  was  taken;  and  the  resolutions  were  unani 
mously  agreed  to. 


Address  of  Mr.  Loi'cring,  of  Massachusetts        131 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  LOVERING,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr.  SPKAKKV:  Some  men  there  are  who  have  reached  a  great 
age  and  yet  have  lived  but  half  lives.  Senator  OKOKGK  FKIS- 
HIE  HOAK  lived  a  full  and  complete  life  in  the  best  sense. 

He  touched  the  world  at  all  points,  and  drew  inspiration 
from  every  worthy  source. 

Kvery  waking  hour  found  him  occupied,  if  not  in  absorbing 
the  riches  of  all  knowledge,  then  in  working  out  the  great 
problems  of  civil  government. 

Great  men  make  a  great  nation,  and  no  nation  is  greater 
than  the  men  who  make  it. 

No  one  realized  this  better  than  Senator  HOAR,  and  so,  while 
modestly  filling  his  own  niche,  he  points  with  peculiar  acumen 
and  appreciation  to  the  great  men  and  statesmen  who  have  con 
trolled  the  destinies  of  nations,  and  especially  of  our  own. 

The  men  and  women  whom  he  met  were  all  the  world  to 
him.  He  cherished  them  for  the  good  that  was  in  them. 
That  they  played  so  important  a  part  in  his  life  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  in  his  autobiography  he  mentioned  not  less 
than  a  thousand  men  and  women  whom  he  had  either  met 
and  known  or  whose  lives  he  had  studied  and  admired. 

American  liberty  was  dear  to  him,  and  he  would  have 
everyone  enjoy  it. 

He  abhorred  manacles,  whether  upon  himself  or  his  fellow- 
men;  whether  they  fettered  his  limbs  or  his  conscience,  his 
body  or  his  soul. 

He  could  not  have  lived  in  Russia.  He  might  have  died 
in  Siberia.  At  all  events,  had  his  lot  been  cast  in  a  country 


132  Life  and  CJmracter  of  George  F.  Hoar 

without  a  constitution,  his  life  would  have  been  given  to 
bringing  the  people  to  the  enjoyment  of  a  free  government. 

Mr.  HOAR  was  a  master  of  language.  Words  were  his 
willing  slaves  and  fell  into  line  at  his  command,  whether  to 
overthrow  an  opponent  in  debate,  to  point  an  argument  in 
court,  or  to  illuminate  a  beautiful  page  in  history. 

If  occasion  required,  he  could  lash  with  sarcasm.  It 
smarted  for  a  time,  but  it  never  blistered. 

To  see  Senator  HOAR  among  his  books  in  his  own  library 
was  to  see  him  at  his  best  and  in  his  happiest  frame  of 
mind.  His  books  were  precious  to  him,  and  while  he  valued 
them  for  their  contents  he  would  almost  caress  them  like 
•children  in  his  fondness  for  them. 

Mr.  HOAR  was  an  enthusiastic  and  intelligent  traveler. 
Historical  places  had  for  him  an  infinite  charm,  and  he 
sought  them  out  with  a  direct  and  unerring  instinct. 

I  remember  meeting  him  once  in  the  old  part  of  London. 
Not  in  Temple  Bar,  not  in  Westminster,  nor  the  Tower, 
where  American  travelers  are  wont  to  frequent,  but  down 
in  the  narrow  lanes  by  Crosby  House  and  in  the  old  haunts 
of  the  early  kings. 

For  hours  we  wandered  about  in  out-of-the-way  places. 
He  was  entirely  at  home,  and  pointed  out  to  me  spots  of 
historical  and  literary  interest  of  which  I  had  never  dreamed. 
He  found  his  way  about  through  the  byways  and  obscure 
passages  like  a  professional  cicerone. 

Senator  HOAR  was  early  at  the  cradle  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  stood  as  one  of  its  sponsors  and  never  forgot  his 
vow  to  bring  it  to  a  full  and  complete  confirmation. 

The  party  did  not  always  follow  his  lead;  it  did  not  always 
do  as  he  would  have  it  do;  but  he  never  forsook  it,  and  this 
is  all  the  more  remarkable  because  he  was  a  man  of  such 


Address  ofMr,  Lovering,  of  Massachusetts        133 

intense  feelings  and  strong  convictions.  He  was  the  best 
exponent  \ve  have  ever  seen  of  a  party  man. 

I  could  easily  fall  into  a  ]>ersonal  and  reminiscent  vein,  for 
I  knew  Senator  HOAK  a  large  part  of  my  life.  It  was  he 
who  first  suggested  to  me  the  'idea  of  becoming  a  Member  of 
this  House,  and  all  through  my  term  of  service  he  has  been 
most  encouraging  and  helpful. 

I  have  not  always  agreed  with  him,  but  so  considerate 
was  he  that  in  differing  from  him  I  did  not  forfeit  his  respect 
nor  lose  his  friendship. 

Probably  one  of  the  most  trying  periods  in  his  public  life 
was  during  the  debate  and  ratification  of  the  Spanish  treaty. 

The  treaty  was  ratified  by  the  Senate  February  6,  1X99, 
late  in  the  afternoon,  and  it  so  happened  that  I  went  over 
to  the  Senate  next  morning  to  ask  Senator  HOAR  to  get 
the  appropriation  in  the  river  and  harbor  bill  increased  for 
Plymouth  Harbor. 

A  great  storm  had  washed  away  a  mile  of  breakwater, 
and  I  said  to  him  that  there  wa*  danger  of  Plymouth  Rock 
being  washed  away.  He  replied  very  seriously,  and  almost 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "  Mr.  Levering,  Plymouth  Rock  was 
washed  away  yesterday  afternoon  at  4  o'clock." 

I  would  not  refer  to  this  chapter  in  his  history  were  it 
not  that  while  differing  from  him  I  had  the  utmost  respect 
for  his  attitude  upon  the  question,  and  as  it  was  the  subject 
of  a  brief  correspondence  between  us  at  the  time  and  that 
his  letter  may  l>e  on  record,  I  take  this  occasion  to  read 
two  letters  that  passed  between  us. 

HorsK  OK  REPRESENTATIVES, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  February  3,  /^99- 

Mv  DKAR  SENATOR :  I  trust  that  you  are  alive  to  the  great  responsi 
bility  you  are  taking  upon  yourself  in  defeating  the  treaty. 


134  IJfe  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

If  a  single  drop  of  American  blood  is  shed,  will  it  not  bring  the  bitter 
execration  of  the  American  people  upon  your  head,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
misery  that  will  follow  an  inevitable  business  panic? 

Can  it  be  that  you,  and  almost  you  alone,  of  all  the  Republicans  in  the 
Senate  are  right  and  they  are  wrong?  Can  it  be  that  the  spirit  of  patriot 
ism  has  gone  out  of  two-thirds  of  your  peers  and  rests  only  in  one-third, 
and  that  third  made  up  of  the  enemies  of  the  Administration  and  the 
party  of  your  life? 

You  do  not  deplore  the  situation  in  the  Philippines  more  than  I  do. 
I  am  opposed  to  imperialism,  I  am  opposed  to  expansion,  but  believe  that 
greater  troubles  and  greater  sorrows  await  our  country  from  the  defeat  of 
the  treaty  than  from  its  ratification. 

Nothing  but  my  lifelong  admiration  for  you,  amounting  almost  to 
idolatry,  gives  me  the  right  to  speak  to  you  like  this. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  question  is  greater  than  any  party,  but  is  it 
greater  than  the  people?     I  believe  that  the  people  throughout  the  coun 
try  would,  by  an  overwhelming  majority,  vote  to  ratify  the  treaty. 
I  remain,  yours,  very  sincerely, 

WM.  C.  LOVERING. 

Hon.  GEORGE  F.  HOAR, 

United  States  Senate,  Washington,  J).  C. 

COMMITTEE  ox  THE  JUDICIARY, 

UNITED  STATES  SENATE, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  February  j,  1899. 

MY  DEAR  SIR:  I  feel  deeply  the  responsibility  that  rests  upon  me. 
But  I  must  do  my  duty  as  God  gives  me  to  see  it.  He  never  gave  me  to 
see  anything  more  clearly  since  I  stood  with  the  little  band  of  Free  Soilers 
in  nij"  youth,  and  again  with  the  little  band  of  men  who  resisted  the 
Know-Nothing  craze  in  1854,  than  I  see  my  duty  in  this  matter.  I  do  not 
think  you  know  how  many  good  and  brave  men  in  Massachusetts,  earnest 
Republicans,  zealous  party  workers,  young  men  and  old,  are  with  me  on 
this  question.  I  know,  too,  how  many  men  in  the  Senate  who  feel  con 
strained  by  mere  party  fidelity  or  a  desire  to  stand  by  the  President  to 
vote  for  the  treaty  loathe  and  abhor  it  as  much  as  I  do.  But  my  course 
was  taken  without  knowing  who  would  stand  by  me  or  who  would  differ 
from  me,  and  I  must  pursue  it;  and  it  does  not  depend  in  the  least  upon 
majorities  or  minorities,  but  upon  justice  and  righteousness. 

This  treaty  undertakes  to  buy  the  sovereignty  over  10,000,000  human 
beings  and  pay  for  it  in  money.  I  have  in  my  veins  the  blood  of  a  revered 
ancestor  who  was  one  of  the  five  men  who  presented  the  immortal  Decla 
ration  of  Independence  to  the  assembly  which  adopted  it.  I  will  not 
consent  to  disgrace  my  lineage  by  trampling  upon  it  now.  I  think  peace 
will  come  to  us  sooner  if  the  treaty  be  rejected  than  if  it  be  ratified. 
But  better  years  of  business  depression,  better  even  years  of  bloodshed, 
than  the  infamv  of  such  a  transaction. 


Address  of  J/r.  Lorering^  of  Massachusetts        135 

You  ask  me  if  the  question  is  greater  than  the  people.  Yolir  question 
is  exactly  that  which  some  of  our  worthy  hut  timid  business  men  used  to 
put  to  Charles  Simmer  before  the  war.  Perhaps  you  can  answer  it  for 
yourself  by  first  answering  the  questions — 

Whether  righteousness  l>e  greater  than  the  people. 

Whether  truth  be  greater  than  the  people. 

Whether  justice  IK*  greater  than  the  people. 

Whether  freedom  be  greater  than  the  people. 

It  is  certainly  greater  than  any  one  party,  or  any  one  generation. 

Now,  my  friend,  I  would  like  to  ask  you  to  consider  a  question:  You 
and  I  have  taken  a  solemn  oath  to  support  the  Constitution.  The  Con 
stitution  provides  that  no  treaty  shall  be  adopted  without  the  approval, 
or,  to  use  the  precise  phrase  of  the  Constitution,  the  "advice  and  con 
sent  of  the  Senate."  In  this  advice  the  consent  of  two-thirds  of  the 
Senate  must  concur.  Now,  do  you  think  that  I  ought,  when  considerably 
more  than  two-thirds  of  the  Senate  do  not  concur,  and  contrary  to  my 
sense  of  what  is  for  the  public  interest,  to  vote  for  the  treaty  because  of 
my  party,  or  because  the  majority  of  the  people  approve  it?  I  do  not,  in 
fact,  believe  that  a  majority  of  the  American  people  approve  it,  and  I  do 
not  think  that  a  majority  of  my  own  party  will  a  great  while.  But  that 
is  not  material  to  this  particular  question.  Am  I  bound  by  the  Constitu 
tion  and  my  oath  to  vote  upon  the  merits  of  the  question  as  I  see  it,  or 
have  I  a  right,  violating  my  oath  and  violating  the  Constitution,  to 
surrender  my  opinion  to  that  of  a  majority  of  the  party,  and  act  against 
it?  When  you  cast  a  vote  in  the  House  of  Representatives  under  such 
a  constraint  you  will  be  a  very  different  man  from  the  Mr.  hovering  I 
have  so  long  known  and  honored. 

I  am,  with  high  regard,  faithfully  yours, 

GEO.   I-'.   I  [OAK. 

Hon.  WII.I.IAM  C.  LOVKRINT,. 

This  letter  is  submitted  without  comment,  excepting  to  say 
that  as  it  gives  a  true  insight  into  the  character  of  a  great 
man  it  should  l>e  published.  It  is  entirely  to  his  credit  and 
in  keeping  with  a  perfectly  consistent  life. 

When  next  Massachusetts  shall  be  asked  to  place  a  statue 
of  one  of  her  distinguished  men  in  the  National  Capitol  she 
can  not  pay  a  higher  tribute  to  herself  than  by  selecting  the 
late  Senator  HOAR  for  that  honor. 


136  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  GILLETT,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

MR.  SPEAKER:  It  was  appropriate  that  the  historical  ora 
tion  upon  the  events  and  achievements  of  Mr.  HOAR'S  life 
should  have  been  delivered  in  the  Senate,  the  scene  of  his 
most  conspicuous  public  service  and  the  body  with  which 
his  name  and  fame  will  ever  be  associated ;  but  he  was  also 
a  prominent  and  useful  Member  of  this  House  in  his  earlier 
manhood,  and  it  is  appropriate  that  we,  too,  should  express 
our  appreciation  and  our  sorrow,  although  the  superb  eulogy 
by  Senator  Lodge  has  portrayed  his  characteristics  and  achieve 
ments  with  a  fidelity  and  beauty  and  completeness  that  makes 
further  speech  superfluous. 

Yet  I  feel  that  I  must  add  a  word  testifying  to  my  per 
sonal  admiration  and  affection.  With  us  of  a  younger  gen 
eration  his  intercourse  was  so  kindly  and  helpful,  he  was  so 
free  from  assumption  or  arrogance,  and  his  conversation  was 
always  so  entertaining  and  instructive,  abounding  in  remin 
iscences  of  great  men  and  great  events,  that  our  personal  loss 
is  irreparable. 

When  a  great  man  dies  our  natural  query  is,  Wherein  lay 
his  greatness,  where  was  the  hiding  of  his  power?  I  think 
\ve  will  all  agree  that  Mr.  HOAR'S  success  was  no  result  of 
chance;  that  it  was  not  any  accident  that  wafted  him  to 
eminence.  In  whatever  sphere  of  life  he  had  been  born  he 
would  have  made  himself  a  man  of  mark.  He  was  endowed 
with  that  restless,  questioning,  indomitable  energy  which 
examines  and  investigates  everything,  which  would  l>e  an 
engine  powerful  enough  to  drive  any  man  to  .some  success, 
and  which  when  applied  as  motive  force  behind  his  clear, 


Address  of  Mr.  Gillctt,  of  Massachusetts  137 

strong,  penetrating   intellect   propelled    it    unerringly  through 
all  obstacles  and  attained  great  results. 

The  over-modest  statement  of  Daniel  \Vebster  that  he  was 
conscious  of  no  genius  except  a  genius  for  hard  work  was 
more  tine  of  Mr.  HOAK.  Without  great  natural  endowments 
he  could  never  have  won  his  brilliant  triumphs,  but  he  spared 
no  toil  in  arriving  at  his  conclusions  or  defending  them,  and 
so  in  his  later  years  his  mind  was  an  arsenal  full  of  rich 
s]K)ils  from  which  he  could  draw  on  any  occasion.  His  life 
well  illustrates  the  verse — 

The  heights  by  great  men  reached  and  kept 

Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight, 
Hut  they  while  their  companions  slept 

Were  toiling  upward  in  the  night. 

Every  opinion  he  formed  was  the  result  of  thorough  reflec 
tion  and  research.  To  satisfy  his  own  Yankee  inquisitiveness 
he  must  go  to  the  lx>ttom  of  every  question,  and  it  is  charac 
teristic  that  he  should  have  said  near  the  close  of  his  life  that 
he  was  ready  to  debate  and  defend  any  position  he  had  ever 
taken  with  any  opponent  of  sufficient  importance.  Such  thor 
oughness,  combined  with  such  intellectual  power,  would  be 
sure  to  make  him  a  leader  of  men,  and  so  it  is  natural  that  we 
find  him  prominent  even  in  his  short  service  in  this  House. 

One  of  his  most  attractive  characteristics  was  the  JUT  of  cul- 
ture  and  scholarship  which  pervaded  all  his  thought  and  work. 
We  liear  much  discussion  in  these  days  of  the  value  of  a  col 
lege  education,  whether  a  practical  business  experience  is  not 
better,  whether  the  scholar  in  politics  is  not  a  failure.  We 
hear  the  boast  for  men  high  in  public  service  that  they  are  net 
pedants  or  theorists;  that  they  are  men  of  the  people,  practical 
politicians,  good  workers  if  not  good  speakers,  able  to  accom 
plish  results  if  not  to  convince  or  please  an  audience.  All 


138  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

honor  to  the  men  who  by  their  own  training  and  force  have 
made  their  way  to  power.  But  I  do  not  doubt  that  a  broad 
culture  would  have  made  them  more  useful.  Certainly  Mr. 
HOAR'S  career  singularly  illustrated  the  assistance  education 
may  give.  His  retentive  memoiy  held  ever  at  hand  stores  of 
material  on  which  he  could  draw  not  only  to  illustrate  his 
speeches  and  fill  them  with  classical  allusions  which  so  charm 
and  stimulate  the  appreciative  hearer,  but  which  also  enabled 
him  to  repel  assaults  and  discomfit  opponents.  Culture  tends, 
perhaps,  to  make  a  man  more  theoretical  and  less  practical, 
because  it  teaches  him  to  search  out  fundamental  principles 
and  base  his  action  not  on  momentary  popularity  but  eternal 
right.  It  lifts  the  compass  by  which  he  guides  his  life  out  of 
the  conflicting  currents  raging  about  him  into  a  serener  and 
clearer  atmosphere;  but  if  it  makes  him  at  times  at  odds 
with  the  world,  he  is  more  sure  in  the  long  run  to  be  con 
sistent,  to  be  right,  and  to  be  approved,  as  was  Senator  HOAR. 
In  the  high  literary  finish  which  marked  his  work  in  the 
Senate  Mr.  HOAR  was  but  following  Massachusetts  precedents. 
From  the  first  the  men  who  have  represented  our  State  and 
greatly  influenced  our  national  history,  the  men  we  look  back 
upon  with  pride  and  gratitude,  have  exemplified  culture  as  well 
as  force.  As  you  look  through  the  long  line  of  distinguished 
men  who  have  established  the  standard  for  a  Massachusetts 
Senator,  from  Adams  down  through  Webster,  Choate,  and 
Everett  and  Sunnier  to  HOAR  and  Lodge,  you  can  but  feel  a 
thrill  of  pride  in  their  achievement  and  recognize  admiringly 
not  only  the  native  power,  but  the  scholarship,  the  assiduous 
art  and  labor,  which  has  made  their  works  American  classics; 
and  you  can  but  wonder  whether  the  practical  statesman  of 
to-day,  with  all  his  astuteness  and  skill  in  producing  results, 


Address  of  Mr.  Gillctt^  of  Massachusetts          139 

does  not  l>elong  to  a  lesser  tyjx.'  and   measure   up  to  a  lower 
standard  than  those  giants  of  the  past. 

At  all  events,  \ve  can  rest  assured  that  Senator  HOAR 
felt  the  inspiration  of  his  great  predecessors;  that  he  strove 
nobly  on  their  exalted  plane:  that  he  condescended  to  nothing 
of  which  they  would  l>e  ashamed;  that  he,  t<x>,  left  models  of 
clear  thought  and  glowing  eloquence,  and  Massachusetts  may 
well  feel  content  that  he.  her  latest  son,  has  kept  alive  her 
old  traditions  of  power  and  importance,  has  held  high  her  old 
standards  of  character  and  ability  and  scholarship  and  elo 
quence,  and  has  added  another  to  that  long  list  of  illustrious 
statesmen  who.  by  their  bearing  in  the  Senate  Chamber,  have 
brought  glory  and  influence  to  their  proud  Commonwealth  and 
have  affected  the  current  of  the  nation's  historv. 


140  Life  and  Character  of  George  P.  If  oar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  LAWRENCE,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr.  SPEAKER:  Senator  HOAR  has  gone.  His  great  work 
here  is  finished.  With  no  thought  of  self  he  gave  the  best 
that  was  in  him  to  the  State.  During  a  long  life  there  had 
been  but  one  thought — to  serve  his  country  with  all  his 
strength  and  with  all  his  ability.  His  was  in  very  truth  a 
consecrated  service.  And  that  life  of  self-sacrifice  is  appreci 
ated.  With  one  voice  the  American  people  are  saying,  ' '  Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant."  On  every  hand  there  is  sin 
cere  expression  of  a  sense  of  personal  loss.  Men  of  every 
political  faith  are  bearing  testimony  to  his  great  abilities,  to 
the  purity  of  his  life  and  the  nobility  of  his  character. 

Others  have  sketched  in  detail  the  story  of  his  life.  They 
have  told  of  his  ancestry;  of  his  boyhood  at  Concord  and  his 
life  at  Harvard;  of  his  success  at  the  bar;  of  the  part  he  bore 
in  the  great  battle  against  human  slavery;  of  his  service  in 
the  House  of  Representatives,  and  of  his  great  career  in  the 
Senate.  They  have  spoken  of  his  unselfish  and  untiring  indus 
try,  his  profound  learning,  his  eloquence,  and  his  remarkable 
influence  in  shaping  legislation  and  in  the  solution  of  the  diffi 
cult  problems  which  have  confronted  the  American  people. 
As  I  listened  to  the  words  of  his  associates  in  the  Senate  I  was 
impressed,  as  all  must  have  been,  with  their  absolute  sincerity. 
They  loved  and  respected  Senator  HOAR  because  daily  service 
with  him  had  shown  them  that  he  was  always  loyal,  always 
true  to  the  highest  ideals,  always  striving  for  the  welfare  of 
his  count  ry. 

He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
has  said  that  no  political  party  in  history  was  ever  formed  for 


of  Mr.  Lawrence,  of  Massachusetts       141 

objects  so  great  and  noble,  and  that  no  jM>litical  party  in 
history  was  ever  so  great  in  its  accomplishment  for  liberty, 
progress,  and  law.  But  notwithstanding  his  loyalty  to  party 
( a  loyalty  which  lasted  until  the  end  )  he  was  true  to  his  own 
convictions  of  right  and  wrong,  and  when  he  l>elieved  his 
party  to  be  wrong  opposed  it  with  all  his  energy  and  ability. 
Never  did  he  oppose  any  policy  with  greater  force  and 
eloquence  than  that  of  his  party  with  reference  to  the  Phil 
ippine  Islands.  That  in  taking  this  ]x>sition  he  was  following 
the  dictates  of  his  conscience  was  never  questioned  by  the 
Republicans  of  Massachusetts.  He  would  not  have  been  the 
Senator  whom  they  trusted  so  long  and  implicitly  had  he  ever 
favored  a  party  policy  which  he  believed  to  be  wrong.  There 
was  no  reason  to  fear  that  they  would  desert  him  for  his 
devotion  to  principle.  Genuine  and  honest  independence 
never  lost  him  their  support. 

His  love  of  country  has  been  spoken  of  as  a  passion,  as  an 
intense  and  mastering  emotion.  Indeed,  he  once  defined  love 
of  country  to  be  the  highest  and  purest  of  human  affections, 
the  master  passion  of  the  loftiest  natures.  A  man  of  intense 
convictions,  of  undoubted  loyalty  to  his  party  and  his  State, 
his  object  was  ever  his  whole  country.  He  sought  the  progress 
and  development  of  every  State,  and  was  never  moved  by  petty 
sectionalism. 

This  nation  is  a  composite — 

He  said- 
It  is  made  up  of  many  streams.     The  quality,  hope,  and  destiny  of  our 
land  are  expressed    in  the  phrase  of  our  fathers,   K  pluribus  unum — of 
many,  one;  of  many  States,  one  nation;  of  many  races,  one  people;  of 
many  creeds,  one  faith;  of  many  bended  knees,   one  family  of  God. 

He  was  very  happy  in  the  thought  that  the  bitter  feeling 
growing  out  of  the  great  conflict  of  the  civil  war  was  passing 


142  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

away,  that  the  sections  were  again  being  bound  together  by 
the  ties  of  citizenship.  He  tried  to  teach  the  lesson  that  the 
North  and  the  South  are  indispensable  to  each  other;  that  it  is 
only  through  a  genuine  and  indissoluble  union  that  the  United 
States  can  fulfill  its  mighty  destiny  and  become  a  power  for 
good  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  He  had  an  abiding  faith 
that  however  separated  the  .States  had  become  by  differences 
they  would  at  last  surely  be  drawn  together  by  a  common  love 
of  liberty  and  a  common  faith  in  God.  Each  passing  year  is 
proving  that  such  faith  was  justified.  He  had  a  strong  sense 
of  justice,  and  did  not  permit  his  own  positive  convictions  to 
blind  him  to  the  honest  and  worthy  motives  which  actuated 
those  who  differed  with  him.  To  be  faithful  to  the  truth  as  he 
saw  it  was  his  motive,  and  he  freely  conceded  to  opponents 
equal  honesty  of  purpose.  And  from  none  have  come  more 
generous  words  of  appreciation  and  affection  for  GEORGE  FRIS- 
BIE  HOAR  than  have  been  spoken  by  those  who  fought  for  the 
lost  cause.  He  is  mourned  to-day  not  alone  by  the  people  of 
the  North.  In  the  eloquent  words  of  Senator  Daniel,  of 
Virginia,  "All  the  States  bow  their  heads  beside  his  tomb. 
Together  they  bind  their  wreaths  of  honor  and  affection  and 
lay  them  encircled  there." 

A  sincere  Christian,  he  loved  to  teach  peace,  good  will, 
brotherly  kindness,  and  charity  to  all  men.  He  wras  one  of 
those  who  are  ever  striving  to  bring  in  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
That  the  power  which  created  this  world  of  ours  is  conscious 
and  beneficent  was  to  him  a  supreme  certainty,  and  upon  that 
foundation  rested  his  hope  of  immortality.  To  his  mind  things 
about  which  Christians  differ  are  in  the  main  nonessential.  He 
could,  therefore,  as  he  said,  have  "no  patience  with  the  spirit 
which  would  excite  religious  strife.  It  is  as  much  out  of  place 


Address  of  J/r.  Lawrence,  of  Massachusetts       143 

as  the  witchcraft  delusion  or  the  fires  of  Smithfield."  How 
ever  devoted  men  might  l>e  to  a  sect  or  denomination,  he  would 
have  them  work  together  in  the  fellowship  of  the  church 
universal. 

I  can  not  close  without  referring  to  his  unfailing  kindness, 
courtesy,  and  helpfulness  to  the  younger  men  who  were  associ 
ated  with  him.  To  them  he  was  a  personal  friend,  and  their 
loss  is  a  personal  one.  They  were  always  sure  of  a  pleasant 
smile  and  a  kindly  greeting  from  him.  An  indefatigable 
worker,  he  was  never  too  busy  to  aid  them  in  any  way  that  he 
could,  to  give  them  the  benefit  of  his  long  exj>erience,  and  to 
help  them  over  the  rough  places  by  wise  suggestions.  His 
counsel  was  encouraging  and  inspiring.  Companionship  with 
him  brought  good  cheer.  The  world  seemed  brighter  and  life 
had  more  of  promise  and  hope. 

Senator  HOAR  never  sought  office.  His  ambition  was  to 
continue  his  successful  career  at  the  bar.  He  loved  his  home 
and  his  books  and  his  profession.  He  preferred  the  comforts 
and  opportunities  of  private  life  to  any  distinction  which  might 
come  from  public  life.  But  the  people  called  him,  and  a 
request  from  them  was  a  command.  His  long  service  involved 
personal  sacrifice,  but  he  had  an  ample  and  satisfying  reward 
in  the  consciousness  of  work  well  done  and  in  the  unbounded 
confidence  of  an  appreciative  constituency. 

A  great  man  has  passed  away,  but  the  results  of  his  work 
will  live.  Memories  of  him  will  bring  good  cheer  and  encour 
agement  to  all  who  love  their  country  and  seek  to  be  of  service 
to  their  fellow-citizens.  We  should  not  think  of  him  as  dead. 
Indeed — 

There  are  no  dead;  we  fall  asleep, 
To  waken  where  they  never  weep. 
We  close  our  eyes  to  pain  and  sin, 
Our  breath  ebbs  out,  but  life  flows  in. 


144  Ltfe  ana>  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Mr.  GILLETT,  of  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Speaker,  my  colleague, 
Mr.  McCall,  has  been  confined  to  his  home  by  illness  for 
several  days  and  has  asked  me  to  express  to  the  House  his 
extreme  regret  at  not  being  present  to-day  to  pay  his  tribute 
to  the  memory  of  Senator  HOAR,  for  whom  he  cherished  a 
deep  friendship,  admiration,  and  affection. 


Address  of  Mr.  Thayer,  of  Massachusetts         145 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  THAYER,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

MR  SPEAKKK:  In  the  death  of  Senator  HOAR  the  nation 
has  lost  one  of  its  greatest  statesmen  and  Massachusetts  one 
of  her  first  citizens.  He  was  spared  to  a  ripe  old  age, 
retaining  his  faculties  and  activities  unimpaired  till  near  the 
end.  On  the  3oth  day  of  September,  1904,  he  passed  away 
at  his  home  in  Worcester,  surrounded  by  his  family  and 
friends.  He  had  been  in  failing  health  but  a  short  time 
before  his  death.  He  remained  in  attendance  upon  his  duties 
in  the  Senate  until  the  close  of  the  second  session  of  the 
Fifty-eighth  Congress.  Reconciled  and  with  serene  com 
posure,  awaiting  the  final  dissolution,  he  became  the  center 
of  a  nation's  love,  and  received,  as  he  justly  merited,  the 
benedictions  of  a  grateful  people.  With  Christian  resignation 
he  bowed  to  the  divine  decree. 

The  announcement  of  his  death  caused  general  mourning 
by  all  the  citi/.ens  of  his  beloved  State,  of  all  parties,  classes, 
and  conditions  of  men.  The  habiliments  of  mourning  were 
displayed  from  every  home  where  thoughtful  and  grateful 
people  dwell.  Messages  of  sympathy,  condolence,  and  sorrow 
came  from  across  the  continent. 

Few  public  men  were  better  loved  when  living,  or  more 
deeply  mourned  when  dead.  Great  as  he  was  in  life,  he  is 
surpassing  great  in  death.  Time  will  not  allow,  upon  an 
occasion  like  this,  for  one  to  speak  of  but  a  few  of  the 
marked  characteristics  of  this  great  and  good  man,  charac 
teristics  and  attributes  which  made  him  the  great  exemplar 
S.  Doc.  201.  58-3 iu 


146  Life  and  Character  of  George  F,  Hoar 

to  those  who  come  after  him — the  great  national  figure  he 
was. 

He  was  faithful  to  truth  as  he  saw  it,  to  duty  as  he  under 
stood  it,  to  constitutional  liberty  as  he  conceived  it.  A  man 
is  great  only  in  comparison  writh  his  fellow-men.  Measured 
by  this  standard  Senator  HOAR  holds  high  station  among  the 
first  men  of  his  age.  He  exemplified  his  greatness  in  his 
devotion  and  service  to  the  paramount  ideals  of  his  manhood; 
he  was  constant  and  devoted  in  his  integrity  to  the  principles 
he  professed. 

He  loved  liberty  with  an  intensity  shared  by  few.  This 
seemed  to  be  his  controlling  passion  through  a  long  and  hon 
ored  life.  It  compelled  him  to  defend  the  right  of  asylum 
for  the  Chinese  upon  our  soil.  He  was  always  solicitous  for 
the  welfare  of  our  Indian  wards.  He  was  the  constant  cham 
pion  of  the  cause  of  the  colored  race;  their  sure  friend  in  the 
time  of  their  extremity.  His  love  of  liberty  for  all  people 
fitted  to  secure  and  enjoy  it  led  him  to  espouse  the  cause  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Philippine  Islands.  He  repelled  the 
suggestion  of  their  being  held  subjects  of  an  independent 
republic.  With  his  ideas  of  the  eternal  fitness  of  things,  he 
could  not  conceive  how  a  people  loving  liberty,  and  securing 
it  through  blood,  carnage,  and  war,  should  deny  liberty  to 
others  seeking  and  demanding  it.  He  had  no  sympathy  with 
the  popular  acclaim  of  empire  and  expansion  when  these  were 
to  be  secured  at  the  cost  of  liberty.  He  could  not  conceive 
how,  upon  any  principle  of  justice  or  righteousness,  the  liberty 
and  independence  of  a  people  could  be  bartered  away  for  sor 
did  commercial  exploitation. 

When  his  party  denied  liberty  to  their  fellow-men  and 
strayed  from  the  path  of  justice  and  righteousness  and  aban 
doned  the  high  ideals  for  which  he  believed  his  party  should 


Address  of  ^fr,  Thaycr^  of  Massachusetts         147  • 

stand,  he  broke  away  from  his  fellow-leaders  in  his  party 
and  threw  himself  into  the  breach,  battling  valiantly  and 
ably  for  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the  Philippine  people.  It 
must  have  been  a  great  trial  and  disappointment  for  him, 
the  long-trusted  leader  of  his  party,  to  part  company  with 
his  associates  of  a  lifetime,  his  friends,  and  his  Administra 
tion.  But  he  heard  the  call  to  duty  and  the  cry  of  the 
oppressed,  the  entreaties  and  prayers  of  a  people  seeking 
liberty.  He  could  not  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  their  supplications. 
His  history  and  the  history  of  his  l>eloved  country  were 
behind  him.  He  never  had  faltered  under  like  conditions; 
he  could  not  now.  There  was  no  doubt  or  uncertainty  cloud 
ing  his  vision.  He  needed  no  time  for  reflection  or  decision. 
His  course  of  action  was  as  clear  to  him  as  the  noonday 
sun.  He  never  did  and  could  not  now  compromise  with  dis 
honor  and  injustice.  And  when  the  future  historian,  removed 
from  the  strife,  the  clamor,  and  the  prejudice  of  the  present, 
impartially  writes  the  history  of  this  period,  it  will  be  made 
to  appear  that  the  position  taken  upon  the  Philippine  ques 
tion  by  Senator  HOAR  was  the  just,  patriotic,  and  correct 
one,  and  the  honor  his  name  will  then  secure  will  more  than 
compensate  for  the  great  sacrifices  he  made,  for  all  he 
suffered  and  endured  for  conscience  sake;  and  it  should  never 
be  forgotten  that  in  his  course  on  the  Philippine  question 
he  followed  not  only  the  dictates  of  his  conscience  and  his 
mature  and  wise  judgment,  but  he  departed  not  from  the 
path  that  Phillips,  Sunnier,  and  Lincoln  trod. 

In  the  great  debates  which  attended  the  Administration 
policy  toward  the  Philippines,  which  policy  Senator  HOAR 
constantly  criticised  and  denounced,  there  was  no  more  potent 
factor,  no  more  popular  acclaim,  than  was  found  in  the 
sentiment  contained  in  the  phrase,  "Who  will  haul  down 


148  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

the  flag?"  I  have  yet  to  learn  of  a  clearer  or  more  correct 
exposition  and  complete  answer  to  that  inquiry  than  is  con 
tained  in  the  language  of  Senator  HOAR  in  his  great  speech 
on  April  17,  1900,  when  he  said: 

Certainly  the  flag  should  never  be  lowered  from  any  moral  field  over 
which  it  has  once  waved.  To  follow  the  flag  is  to  follow  the  principles  of 
freedom  and  humanity  for  which  it  stands.  To  claim  that  we  must  follow 
it  when  it  stands  for  injustice  or  oppression  is  like  claiming  that  we  must 
take  the  nostrums  of  the  quack  doctor  who  stamps  it  on  his  wares,  or  fol 
low  every  scheme  of  wickedness  or  fraud,  if  only  the  flag  be  put  at  the 
head  of  the  prospectus. 

No  one  loved  the  flag  and  what  it  stands  for  more  than  did 
Senator  HOAR,  and  few  men  have  stated  more  correctly  when 
and  where  it  should  be  supported  and  defended  than  did  he 
in  the  language  above  quoted. 

Senator  HOAR  was  not  permitted  to  live  long  enough  to 
see  his  great  efforts,  the  greatest  of  his  later  life,  in  behalf 
of  the  Philippine  people  crowned  with  success  and  the  results 
and  accomplishments  they  so  richly  deserved,  nor  to  witness 
what  the  outcome  and  lasting  effect  of  the  policy  of  his  part}', 
which  he  opposed,  toward  the  Philippines  is  really  to  be. 

To  his  loved  land  he  gave,  without  a  stain, 

Courage  and  faith,  vain  faith,  and  courage  vain. 

He,  subtile,  strong,  and  stubborn,  gave  his  life 
To  a  lost  cause,  and  knew  the  gift  was  vain. 

Later  shall  rise  a  people  sane  and  great, 

Forged  in  strong  fires,  by  equal  war  made  one, 

Telling  old  battles  over  without  hate, 

Noble,  his  name  shall  pass  from  sire  to  son. 

Senator  HOAR  died,  as  he  lived,  in  the  firm  conviction 
that  the  policy  he  advocated  toward  the  Philippines  was 
the  correct  and  true  policy,  and  that  the  policy  which  the 
Administration  of  his  o\vn  part}'  had  adopted  wTould  in  the 
end  prove  dangerous  and  subversive  to  the  best  interests 
and  good  name  of  the  American  people. 


Address  of  Mr.  Thayer,  of  Massachusetts         149 

He  felt  that  the  die  was  cast  and  that  nothing  but  the 
sobering  influences  of  time  and  effect  could  eradicate  the 
error  and  right  the  wrong;  and  in  the  closing  sentences 
of  his  great  speech  of  April  17  he  accepts  the  inevitable, 
recanting  nothing  and  reaffirming  all  that  he  had  said  and 
done  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  humanity,  and  righteousness. 
These  are  his  last  parting  words  to  his  associates  and  the 
American  people  on  this  subject : 

I  know  how  feeble  is  a  single  voice  amid  this  din  and  tempest,  this 
delirium  of  empire.  It  may  l>e  that  the  battle  for  this  day  is  lost,  but  I 
have  an  assured  faith  in  the  future.  I  have  an  assured  faith  in  justice 
and  the  love  of  lil>erty  of  the  American  j>eople.  The  stars  in  their  courses 
fight  for  freedom.  The  Ruler  of  the  heavens  is  on  that  side.  If  tin- 
battle  to-day  go  against  it,  I  appeal  to  another  day,  not  distant  and  sure  to 
come.  I  appeal  from  the  clapping  of  hands  and  the  stamping  of  feet  and 
the  brawling  and  shouting  to  the  quiet  chamber  where  the  fathers  gath 
ered  in  Philadelphia.  I  apj>eal  from  the  empire  to  the  Republic.  I 
appeal  from  the  millionaire  and  the  boss  and  the  wire-puller  and  the 
manager  to  the  statesman  of  the  elder  time,  in  whose  eyes  a  guinea  never 
glistened,  who  lived  and  died  poor,  and  who  left  to  his  children  and  his 
countrymen  a  good  name,  far  better  than  riches.  I  appeal  from  the 
present,  bloated  with  material  prosperity,  drunk  with  the  lust  of  empire, 
to  another  and  a  better  age.  I  appeal  from  the  present  to  the  future  and 
to  the  past. 

Senator  HOAR  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions  in  a  pre 
eminent  degree.  I  know  of  no  man  in  m<xleru  times  who 
excelled  him  in  courage  to  declare  his  convictions  in  civil  and 
political  matters  and  to  accept  the  consequences.  He  seemed 
to  be  perfectly  oblivious  to  the  injurious  effect  any  declara 
tion  of  his  might  have  upon  himself,  politically  or  otherwise. 
When  others,  through  discretion  or  temerity,  halted,  he  boldly 
stepped  to  the  front  and  led  the  charge,  regardless  of  how  the 
result  of  the  contest  might  affect  himself.  One  noted  example 
of  this  is  found  in  his  argument  before  the  Senate  in  the 
Belknap  impeachment  trial,  and  I  reproduce  it  here  as  charac 
teristic  of  him  during  his  whole  political  career.  I  l>elieve  that 


150  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

few  men  just  entering,  as  he  was,  upon  their  political  careers 
would  have  had  the  courage,  had  they  been  possessed  of  the 
information  and  occupying  the  position  he  did,  to  arraign  his 
party  associates  and  men  in  official  positions  as  he  did  upon 
that  occasion. 

Hear  his  masterly  denunciation  of  corruption  in  high 
places  and  bribery  in  office: 

My  own  public  life  has  been  a  very  brief  and  insignificant  one,  extend 
ing  a  little  beyond  the  duration  of  a  single  term  of  Senatorial  office;  but 
in  that  brief  period  I  have  seen  five  judges  of  a  high  court  of  the  United 
States  driven  from  office  by  threats  of  impeachment  for  maladministration. 
I  have  heard  the  taunt  from  the  friendliest  lips  that  when  the  United  States 
presented  herself  in  the  East  to  take  part  with  the  civilized  world  in  gen 
erous  competition  in  the  arts  of  life  the  only  product  of  her  institutions  in 
which  she  surpassed  all  others  beyond  question  was  her  corruption.  I 
have  seen,  in  the  State  of  the  Union  foremost  in  power  and  wealth,  four 
judges  of  her  courts  impeached  for  corruption  and  the  political  adminis 
tration  of  her  chief  city  become  a  disgrace  and  a  byword  throughout  the 
world.  I  have  seen  the  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs  in 
the  House,  now  a  distinguished  member  of  this  court,  rise  in  his  place 
and  demand  the  expulsion  of  four  of  his  associates  for  making  sale  of 
their  official  privilege  of  selecting  the  youths  to  be  educated  at  our  great 
military  school.  When  the  greatest  railroad  in  the  world,  binding 
together  the  continent  and  uniting  two  great  seas  which  wash  our  shores, 
was  finished,  I  have  seen  our  national  triumph  and  exultation  turned  to 
bitterness  and  shame  by  the  unanimous  reports  of  three  committees  of 
Congress— two  of  the  House  and  one  here — that  every  step  of  that  mighty 
enterprise  was  taken  in  fraud.  I  have  heard  in  highest  places  the  shame 
less  doctrine  avowed  by  men  grown  old  in  public  office  that  the  true  way 
by  which  power  should  be  gained  in  the  Republic  is  to  bribe  the  people 
with  the  offices  created  for  their  service,  and  the  true  end  for  which  it 
should  be  used  when  gained  is  the  promotion  of  selfish  ambition  and  the 
gratification  of  personal  revenge.  I  have  heard  that  suspicion  haunts  the 
footsteps  of  the  trusted  companions  of  the  President. 


Address  of  Mr.  Su/liz'an,  of  Massachusetts        151 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  SULLIVAN,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr.  SPEAKKK:  The  eulogies  of  GEORGE  FRISBIK  HOAR  con 
tain  such  an  able  and  exhaustive  discussion  of  his  life  and  his 
services  to  our  country  that  additional  addresses  must  seem 
like  supererogation. 

I  rise  simply  in  appreciation  of  the  value  of  his  work,  not 
only  to  the  country,  but  to  our  public  men.  For  his  life  is 
full  of  lessons,  which  if  pondered  will  surely  raise  the  ideals  of 
our  public  officials. 

He  died,  after  a  life  of  nearly  fourscore  years,  full  of  honors, 
but  with  little  of  this  world's  riches.  Public  service  of  nearly 
half  a  century  had  left  him  a  comparatively  poor  man.  But 
he  carried  to  his  grave  —  and  it  will  last  while  men  have  mem 
ory —  that  which  is  better  than  riches,  the  undying  love  of  the 
people  of  the  United  States  for  his  lifelong  battle  against  every 
form  of  corruption  that  threatened  the  purity  of  our  public 
service  and  the  permanence  of  our  institutions.  It  is  pleasant 
indeed  to  see  that  though  in  his  lifetime,  when  moved  by 
righteous  indignation,  he  dealt  powerful  blows  to  that  system 
which  was  subversive  of  human  liberty,  to-day  the  voice  of 
the  South  is  raised  to  pay  tribute  to  the  great  man  whom  once 
they  did  not  understand,  but  whom  they  learned  to  love. 

He  was  a  constant  foe  to  every  form  of  race  hatred  and 
religious  intolerence.  An  American  of  Americans  himself,  he 
refused  to  stand  with  those  who  would  shut  the  nation's  doors 
against  the  poor  and  the  oppressed  of  the  world,  for  his  broad 
mind  would  not  permit  him  to  regard  one  set  of  God's 
creatures  as  so  inferior  to  ourselves  that  we  should  denv  them 


152  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

the  opportunity  to  breathe  with  us  His  air  and  enjoy  with  us 
His  sunshine. 

Though  a  Protestant  whose  faith  was  strong  and  uncompro 
mising,  he  saw  the  seas  of  Know-Nothingism  and  A.  P.  A. -ism 
sweep  over  our  country,  carrying  with  them  a  flood  of  bitter 
animosities,  hateful  discriminations,  and  foul  wrongs,  and 
he  manfully  withstood  the  current,  buffeting  its  waves  with 
the  same  vigor  with  which  he  would  have  repelled  an  attack 
upon  the  religion  of  his  fathers.  He  lived  to  see  the  men 
whom  he  defended  against  the  first  of  these  prescriptive 
movements  march  with  those  of  his  own  race  and  faith  to 
battle  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  when  its  integrity 
was  menaced.  He  saw  them  settle  down  to  the  pursuits  of 
peace,  saw  them  helping  in  every  field  of  industry  to  build  up 
the  country's  greatness,  saw  them  educate  their  children  to 
love  the  flag  their  fathers  had  fought  to  defend,  and  saw  them 
again  attacked  by  a  new  set  of  religious  bigots  marshaled 
under  the  old  banner  of  hate,  though  under  a  new  name. 
Then  again,  aided  by  the  prestige  of  long  and  faithful  service 
to  his  country,  he  struck  down  \vith  a  single  blow  the  enemies 
of  fraternal  love  and  religious  freedom,  and  the  hearts  of 
millions  swelled  with  gratefulness,  while  a  prayer  to  God  to 
bless  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR  rose  to  every  Catholic's  lips. 

Through  all  the  stormy  conflicts  between  religion  and 
science,  during  which  many  of  the  brightest  minds  were 
attracted  by  the  philosophy  of  atheism  and  agnosticism,  he 
preserved  in  its  integrity  his  religious  faith  even  to  the  end 
of  life.  Would  that  his  example  might  lend  inspiration  to 
the  wavering  to  cling  to  their  faith  in  a  Supreme  Being 
through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  existence ! 

That  love  of  liberty  and  equality  which  made  him  one  of 
the  great  forces  that  ultimately  freed  the  slave  could  not  fail 


'ss  of  Mr.  Snlliraii,  of  Massachusetts         153 

to  compel  him  to  raise  his  voice  against  the  stifling  of  the 
aspirations  for  freedom  of  the  people  of  the  Philippine 
Islands.  Stronger  than  all  constitutional  questions  that  were 
urged,  mightier  than  all  economic  objections  which  were 
raised,  was  his  hatred  of  a  system  that  was  built  upon  the 
theory  of  the  inequality  of  men.  He  had  witnessed  the 
cause  of  human  liberty  triumph  often  in  foreign  lands  over 
the  forces  of  despotism,  he  had  witnessed  the  shackles  fall 
from  millions  in  his  own  land,  and  having  an  abiding  faith 
in  the  justness  of  his  countrymen,  he  could  not  be  brought 
to  believe  that  they  would  sanction  the  government  of  an 
alien  people  against  their  will  until  the  tyranny,  as  it  seemed 
to  him,  was  actually  accomplished.  His  passionate  appeal  to 
his  party  to  let  these  people  govern  themselves  in  their  own 
way  was  but  the  voice  of  his  ancestry  that  had  defied  the 
might  of  kings  when  it  usurped  the  rights  of  men. 

And  now  this  man  has  passed  out  of  our  vision,  but  not 
out  of  our  memory.  He  will  be  remembered  as  a  great  man, 
but,  what  is  better,  he  will  be  loved  as  a  good  man.  When 
the  deeds  of  men  the  glitter  of  whose  lives  was  as  the  cold 
brilliancy  of  the  diamond  are  forgotten,  the  life  of  GEORGR 
FRISBIK  HOAR  will  l>e  recalled  as  one  that  shone  like  the 
blood-red  ruby,  combining  the  warmth  of  a  grand  soul  with 
the  effulgence  of  a  great  mind. 


154  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  GREENE,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr.  SPEAKER:  I  accept  the  duty  which  devolves  upon  me 
as  representing  in  part  the  great  Commonwealth  of  Massachu 
setts  in  paying  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Senator 
GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR,  realizing  my  inability  adequately  to 
express  the  just  appreciation  with  which  the  constituents  I 
have  the  honor  especially  to  represent  held  this  most  mar 
velous  and  distinguished  man  during  his  long  and  eminently 
successful  life. 

The  city  in  which  I  have  lived  from  my  youth — the  city 
of  Fall  River — is  one  of  the  most  cosmopolitan  cities  in  the 
country,  having  within  its  limits  possibly  ever)-  nationality  on 
the  face  of  the  earth,  more  than  80  per  cent  of  its  popula 
tion  being  of  foreign  birth  or  being  by  direct  descent  from 
those  born  on  foreign  soil.  His  tender  sympathy  with  the 
oppressed  and  the  downtrodden,  his  courage  and  fortitude  in 
defending  freedom  of  thought  and  freedom  of  action  in  both 
religious  and  secular  affairs,  found  a  ready  response  among 
a  people  who  had  emigrated  from  other  lands  to  seek  an 
asylum  where  the  rights  of  men  would  be  respected  and 
the  privileges  of  religious  freedom  would  be  guaranteed. 

To  them  Senator  HOAR  represented  the  highest  type  of 
American  citizenship,  and  the  people  of  that  community 
rejoiced  whenever  he  came  among  them.  They  read  with 
satisfaction  his  vigorous  criticisms  of  those  who  tried  to 
confine  him  within  the  narrow  limits  of  religious  prejudice 
in  determining  the  worth  or  qualification  for  public  service 
of  his  fellow-men. 


Address  of  Mr.  Greene^  of  Massachusetts         155 

My  earliest  recollections  of  him  l>egan  with  the  agitation 
for  the  destruction  of  the  great  curse  of  human  slavery. 
The  arrest  of  Anthony  Burns  and  his  return  by  the  Com 
monwealth  in  obedience  to  law  as  an  escaped  fugitive  slave 
awakened  the  conscience  and  determination  of  the  people  of 
Massachusetts  to  prevent  future  repetitions  of  this  appalling 
and  unwelcome  exhibition  of  holding  human  beings  in  per 
petual  bondage. 

Senator  HOAR  never  faltered  in  his  belief  that  slavery  was 
wrong,  and,  regardless  of  political  associations  which  had 
endeared  him  to  his  friends  and  made  him  prominent  in  the 
political  councils  of  the  Whig  party,  he  forsook  them  all  and 
became  one  of  the  most  prominent  leaders  in  the  Free  Soil 
party,  a  party  which  had  for  its  avowed  purpose  the  destruc 
tion  of  human  slavery  as  a  blot  and  curse  long  endured  by 
a  people  who  had  endeavored  to  found  a  nation  devoted  to 
the  principles  of  human  freedom  and  the  maintenance  of 
equality  and  human  rights. 

The  revelations  of  history  of  the  last  half  century  demon 
strate  beyond  dispute  that  had  his  preeminent  abilities  been 
devoted  to  the  pursuit  of  wealth  or  of  distinction  in  the  line 
of  his  chosen  profession  he  would  have  ranked  among  the 
greatest  of  his  time  and  generation,  and  have  been  showered 
with  abundant  remuneration  as  a  reward  for  the  service 
which  his  natural  abilities,  retentive  memory,  and  legal 
training  would  have  enabled  him  to  render  to  the  individuals 
and  corporations  who  would  have  been  gratified  to  have 
commanded  his  services. 

He  turned  from  the  great  opportunities  which  were  within 
his  grasp  and  yielded  to  the  demand  of  his  countrymen  that 
he  should  engage  in  the  conflicts  and  accept  the  sacrifices 
which  a  public  career  exacts  from,  a  faithful  public  servant. 


156  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

He  tried  to  retire  from  the  public  service  and  take  up  the 
duties  of  his  chosen  profession,  for  he  was  a  lover  of  books 
and  an  earnest  student  of  literature.  The  harder  problems 
involved  in  legal  procedure  only  awakened  within  him  greater 
zeal  and  determination  successfully  to  solve  them,  thereby 
achieving  the  distinction  and  rewards  which  a  successful  and 
honored  legal  career  would  certainly  have  afforded  him. 

But  as  he  retired  from  one  degree  of  the  public  service  he 
was  called  to  other  and  higher  distinctions. 

My  personal  acquaintance  with  Mr.  HOAR  began  in  the 
year  1876.  That  year,  as  chairman  of  the  Republican  city 
committee  of  Fall  River,  I  received  him  as  the  opening 
speaker  of  that  eventful  political  campaign.  The  gentleman 
who  presided  on  that  occasion  was  the  Hon.  Robert  T.  Davis, 
who  still  survives,  one  of  my  predecessors  in  the  House  of 
Representatives  and  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  antislavery 
movement  and  a  lifelong  friend  and  active  coworker  with 
Senator  HOAR,  although  three  years  his  senior.  They  were 
both  members  of  the  constitutional  convention  of  Massachu 
setts.  I  seldom  met  the  Senator  in  after  life  that  he  did  not 
refer  to  their  association  and  friendship  and  their  compan 
ionship  in  Congress.  In  his  address  in  my  home  city  I  was 
charmed  by  the  eloquence  and  logic  of  Mr.  HOAR,  and  ever 
afterwards  followed  his  public  career  with  keener  appreciation 
and  interest. 

The  result  of  the  election  of  1876  was  a  matter  of  doubt  for 
many  months,  and  there  was  finally  evolved  a  scheme  of  settle 
ment  which  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  an  Electoral  Com 
mission,  which  by  act  of  the  Congress  was  empowered  to 
determine  all  questions  of  controversy  arising  from  said 
election.  Senator  HOAR  was  appointed  by  the  Speaker 
of  the  House  a  member  of  the  Electoral  Commission,  and 


Address  of  Mr.  Greene,  of  Massachusetts         157 

contributed  by  his  ability  and  conservatism  to  the  peaceful  and 
orderly  determination  of  what  seemed  to  many  anxious  and 
patriotic  citi/.ens  one  of  the  most  alarming  periods  of  the 
nation's  history. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  I  should  recount  his  eminent  service 
in  this  body.  Let  the  student  of  history  examine  the  record 
of  his  acts,  his  eminent  wisdom,  and  his  expressions  upon 
many  of  the  important  questions  which  demanded  solution  in 
that  period  of  the  nation's  life  so  closely  following  the  civil  war, 
and  he  will  find  abundant  evidence  of  his  marked  ability  and 
industry. 

In  the  year  1880  I  was  selected  an  alternate  delegate  to  the 
Republican  national  convention  which  resulted  in  the  nomina 
tion  of  President  Oarfield.  I  was  granted  the  privilege  of 
meeting  with  the  Massachusetts  delegation  in  all  its  delibera 
tions.  Senator  HOAR  was  chairman  of  the  State  delegation, 
and  also  was  chosen  temporary  chairman  of  the  convention. 
In  all  the  stormy  conflicts  which  the  contests  between  the 
great  leaders  of  the  party  seeking  for  supremacy  aroused, 
Senator  HOAR  remained  calm  and  undisturbed.  The  late 
James  A.  Garfield,  the  nominee  of  the  convention,  then  United 
States  Senator,  and  late  Senators  Roscoe  Conkling  and  John  A. 
Logan,  and  ex-Senator  William  K.  Chandler,  and  the  present 
Senators  William  P.  Frye,  Kugene  Hale,  Chauncey  M.  Depew, 
Julius  C.  Burrows,  William  B.  Allison,  Shelby  M.  Cullom,  and 
Henry  Cabot  Lodge,  and  Chester  A.  Arthur,  the  nominee  of 
the  convention  for  Vice- President,  and  others  prominent  in 
party  councils,  were  participants  in  the  work  of  that  conven 
tion.  Between  the  friends  of  the  two  principal  candidates, 
General  Grant  and  Senator  Blaine,  there  was  a  great  struggle 
to  secure  the  permanent  chairmanship  of  the  convention,  and 
finally  the  differences  were  adjusted  by  the  unanimous  request 


158  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

that  Senator  HOAR  should  occupy  the  position,  and  he  became 
the  permanent  presiding  officer.  His  work,  though  extremely 
difficult,  met  the  approval  of  the  entire  assemblage. 

At  the  meetings  of  the  State  delegation  his  counsel  and 
direction  were  of  the  highest  order.  He  was  so  highly 
regarded  as  a  safe  and  judicious  leader  by  the  Republican 
party  as  a  whole  throughout  the  State  that  he  was  always 
a  prominent  figure  in  their  campaigns,  and  he  presided  at 
the  State  conventions  in  1871,  1877,  1882,  and  1885,  and 
was  a  delegate  at  large  to  the  national  conventions  of  1876, 
1880,  1884,  and  1888. 

His  greatest  field  of  activity,  however,  was  in  the  United 
States  Senate.  He  was  a  member  of  that  distinguished  body 
for  more  than  twenty-seven  years.  The  tributes  of  his 
associates  are  the  greatest  that  could  possibly  be  awarded  a 
human  being.  Estimated  in  comparison  with  the  reward 
and  triumphs  of  a  private  career,  the  latter  would  not  be 
entitled  to  consideration.  Senators  intimately  associated  with 
him  in  his  political  career,  and  in  sympathy  with  his  extremest 
partisan  political  opinions,  could  not  speak  of  him  more  kindly 
and  generously  than  did  those  who  had  been  his  most  bitter 
political  enemies.  These  tributes  of  Senators  from  all  parts  of 
the  Union  show  how  completely  his  public  career  had  become 
interwoven  into  the  entire  fabric  of  the  nation's  life.  He 
became  known  to  the  aspiring  youth,  and  his  history  seemed 
familiar  to  the  hoary  pilgrim  traveling  along  life's  pathway. 

Future  generations  will  ponder  over  his  career,  and  be 
better  able  to  solve  the  problems  with  which  they  may  be 
confronted  by  contemplating  the  struggles  through  which  he 
passed  and  recognizing  the  great  accomplishments  which  his 
industry  and  fidelity  had  been  the  means  of  achieving  toward 
the  upbuilding  and  perpetuating  of  the  life  of  the  nation. 


Address  of  Mr,  Greene,  of  Massachusetts         1 59 

In  the  intimacy  of  private  conversation  and  association 
the  extent  of  his  knowledge  of  the  country's  progress  and 
development  and  his  familiarity  with  the  work  of  the  earlier 
figures  in  national  history  were  made  both  apparent  and 
interesting.  I  especially  remember  on  one  occasion,  when 
journeying  with  him  from  Washington  toward  his  home,  he 
referred  to  the  marked  change  in  the  requirements  of  com 
munities  from  the  public  servants  at  that  time  over  the 
requisites  during  his  student  life  at  Harvard  College.  He 
said  that  the  late  Rufus  Choate  was  announced  to  deliver  a 
political  address  in  Roxbury,  a  suburb  of  Boston,  and  he, 
with  a  number  of  his  fellow-students,  attended  the  meeting. 
Mr.  Choate  had  a  carefully  prepared  address  which  he  had 
committed  to  memory  and  delivered  it  to  the  entire  satisfac 
tion  of  his  auditors. 

A  few  nights  afterwards  Mr.  Choate  was  announced  to  speak 
in  South  Boston,  and,  with  his  fellow-students,  Mr.  HOAR 
attended  the  meeting,  and  the  same  identical  speech  was  deliv 
ered.  Several  of  the  students  laughed  rather  immoderately. 

Again,  a  few  nights  later,  Mr.  Choate  was  announced  to 
speak  in  Cambridge,  and  Mr.  HOAR,  with  his  fellow-students, 
were  again  among  his  auditors,  and  they  were  regaled  again 
with  precisely  the  same  address.  Mr.  HOAR  said  that  some  of 
the  students  rudely  "guffawed." 

At  that  time,  he  said,  there  were  no  shorthand  reporters,  nor 
was  it  customary  to  publish  reports  of  speeches,  the  usual 
method  being  to  publish  an  item  stating  that  the  Hon.  Rufus 
Choate  had  addressed  an  interested  audience  upon  the  issues 
of  the  day,  while  at  the  present  day  it  is  customary  for  news 
papers  in  many  instances  to  publish  remarks  of  public  speakers 
in  full,  making  it  incumbent  upon  them  to  make  extended 
research  and  provide  very  largely  new  and  original  matter  for 


160  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  If  oar 

each  public  address.  This,  he  said,  became  an  exaction  which 
taxed  the  abilities  of  public  servants  of  the  present  day  to  an 
extent  which  possibly  the  individual  citizen  hardly  realized. 

Senator  HOAR  was  one  of  the  early  founders  of  the  Repub 
lican  part}'.  His  wisdom  was  displayed  very  largely  in  fram 
ing  the  national  and  State  platforms  in  critical  periods  of  the 
nation's  history. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  frequently  to  serve  with  him  upon 
the  committee  on  resolutions  at  State  conventions.  The  abil 
ity  displayed  by  him  in  rapidly  characterizing  in  vigorous  and 
terse  language  the  consensus  of  opinion  of  the  assembled  com 
mittee  was  marvelous  to  contemplate.  He  seemed  to  have  the 
proper  expression  to  compass  the  desired  result  always  at  his 
command.  The  Republicans  of  Massachusetts  always  felt  that 
they  owed  him  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  they  never  could 
repay  except  by  awarding  to  him  their  highest  honor,  and 
there  was  no  division  of  sentiment  in  renewing  his  commission 
as  United  States  Senator,  and  his  greatest  honor  was  that  the 
party  and  the  people  called  him  to  its  sen-ice  in  that  distin 
guished  body  for  the  longest  period  ever  granted  to  any  one  of 
its  citizens  during  the  life  of  the  Commonwealth. 

Having  been  called  upon  at  the  time  of  his  decease  for  a 
brief  expression  regarding  his  life  and  service,  I  used  the  fol 
lowing  language,  which  I  quote  in  closing  the  limited  address 
which  this  occasion  has  called  forth: 

By  the  death  of  Senator  HOAR  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts 
and  the  nation  have  been  sadly  bereaved.  Possibly  no  man  in  public  life 
touched  the  hearts  and  lives  of  the  people  of  the  entire  country  so  inti 
mately  as  he. 

His  great  works  and  public  acts  are  interwoven  into  the  nation's  history 
for  more  than  the  last  half  century,  and  his  remarkable  record  of  public 
service  will  become  an  inspiration  to  the  youths  of  to-day  and  to  future 
generations,  awakening  them  to  higher  and  holier  conceptions  of  their 
duties  to  their  country  and  to  their  fellow-men. 


Address  of  Mr.  Greene,  of  Massachusetts         161 

Others  have  eulogized  him  with  words  of  power  and  elo 
quence,  but  words  fail  adequately  to  express  the  sorrow  and 
affliction  which  the  State  and  the  nation  suffer  in  the  removal 
of  this  great  man  from  the  activities  of  social  and  political 
life.  The  world  has  been  enriched  and  humanity  has  been 
ennobled  because  he  lived  and  wrought  among  us. 

He  was  a  politician  in  the  highest  sense,  fearless  and  inde 
pendent;  keen  and  sharp  in  his  criticisms,  but  kind  in  every 
act  and  thought.  He  sacrificed  his  life  and  abilities  for  the 
public  good,  thereby  exemplifying  the  highest  type  of  enlight 
ened  Christian  citizenship.  His  words  and  accomplishments 
will  be  preserved  and  regarded  by  his  fellow-countrymen  as 
among  the  brightest  and  noblest  pages  of  our  country's 
history  during  the  last  half  century. 

It  was  my  privilege  to  meet  him  frequently  during  the 
sessions  of  Congress.  His  companionship  seemed  almost  a 
Ijenediction.  He  was  always  cheerful  and  interesting,  with 
a  remarkable  memory*  of  events  and  of  man}-  of  the  best 
historical  and  literary  productions. 

I  was  assigned  as  a  member  of  the  committee  from  this 
body  to  attend  his  funeral  at  the  city  of  Worcester,  where 
he  resided  at  the  time  of  his  decease.  Business  was  entirely 
suspended,  and  as  far  as  possible  the  entire  populace  viewed 
his  remains  while  lying  in  state  at  the  city  hall. 

The  following  day  his  body  was  deposited  in  the  burial 
ground  of  his  birthplace,  in  the  historic  town  of  Concord, 
Mass.,  there  to  remain  among  those  of  his  ancestors  who 
were  the  earlier  settlers  of  the  Commonwealth  and  partici 
pants  in  the  preliminary  struggle  of  the  Revolutionary  war 
at  Concord  Bridge. 

I  gladly  add  my  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  distinguished 
scholar,  statesman,   and  patriot,   the  late  Senator  HOAR. 
S.  Doc.  201,  58-3 ii 


1 62  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  TIRRELL,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr.  SPEAKER:  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR  was  born  at  Con 
cord,  Mass.,  August  29,  1826.  He  died  September  30,  1904. 
He  sleeps  in  his  native  town  again  —  that  sleep  that  knows  no 
waking  until  the  firmament  shall  be  rolled  together  like  a 
scroll.  As  this  town  is  in  the  district  I  have  the  honor  to 
represent,  it  is  both  a  duty  and  a  pleasure  to  pay  a  tribute 
to  his  memory.  Environment  had  much  to  do  with  molding 
his  character.  His  courage,  his  persistency,  his  ambition,  his 
patriotism  drew  their  inspiration  from  the  hills,  the  valleys, 
the  men,  and  the  history  of  his  native  town. 

Hereditary  greatness  descended  to  him  to  a  remarkable 
degree  through  many  generations.  His  family  is  one  of  the 
few  exceptions — so  few  you  can  almost  count  them  upon  your 
fingers — of  inherited  genius.  His  genealogy  is  a  history  of 
leaders  from  the  early  colonial  days.  They  fled  from  England 
when  the  tyranny  of  the  Stuarts  rendered  impossible  the  free 
exercise  of  religious  and  political  belief.  They  are  conspicuous 
in  the  just  administration  of  law  for  the  Indian  as  well  as  for 
the  white  inhabitant.  They  were  of  the  immortal  band  who 
fought  at  Concord  and  Lexington.  They  were  numbered 
among  those  who  formulated  the  Constitution.  They  defended 
the  negro  when  ostracism  and  obloquy  were  the  reward.  They 
severed  party  connections  and  cooperated  in  the  organization 
of  a  new  party  allegiance  when  conscience  no  longer  permitted 
their  adherence  to  the  dominant  political  creeds.  They  have 
been  conspicuous  within  our  memory  for  their  virile  intellects, 
their  ripe  learning,  and  their  widespread  political  influence 


Address  of  Mr.  Tirrell,  of  Massachusetts          1 63 

throughout  the  country.  All  this  is  well  known,  but  the 
subtle  influence  which  made  the  character  of  Senator  HOAR, 
even  in  his  early  clays,  from  the  air  he  breathed,  the  fields  he 
roamed,  and  the  men  and  the  institutions  they  had  created, 
through  two  hundred  years  of  strenuous  effort,  has  been  but 
slightly  touched  upon.  To  that  I  call  attention  now. 

Concord  was  among  the  first  settlements  of  the  Massachusetts 
Province.  Agriculture  was  the  industry  of  the  people.  The 
broad  meadows  and  uplands  by  the  Concord  River  attracted  the 
emigrant.  It  was  a  frontier  town.  It  was  settled  by  Puritans. 
A  theocratic  community  was  organized.  The  church  was  the 
state.  The  Bible  was  the  rule  of  faith  and  action.  The  minis 
ter  was  the  leader  of  the  flock.  But  while  his  superior  educa 
tion  and  godly  character  made  him  as  one  apart,  his  people 
followed  him  only  so  far  as  their  own  interpretation  of  the 
Scriptures  convinced  their  conscience  that  he  properly  inter 
preted  the  Inspired  Word.  It  is  true,  dissenters  found  no 
countenance  among  them.  A  deviation  from  established  dog 
mas  banished  them  from  the  colony.  They  saw  no  other  way 
of  worshiping  God  in  peace.  Now,  strange  as  it  may  appear, 
this  independence  of  interpretation  of  Sacred  Writ,  and  the 
injunction  upon  all  to  study  it  and  follow  it  according  to  their 
conscience,  led  to  a  curious  result.  To  this  result  the  Hoar 
family  contributed  as  active  participants  in  colonial  and  religious 
affairs.  It  explains  the  anomaly  of  GKORGK  FRISBIK  HOAR 
as  a  type  of  what  might  be  denominated  a  moderni/ed  Puritan 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  He  was  their  eulogista_as_appears 
in.  many  a  masterly  address.  He^hHrt~Tluf  characteristics  him 
self  of  those  worthies  whom  he  extolled.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  the  antithesis  of  the  Puritan  in  his  tastes,  his  religious 
affiliation,  and  his  broad,  unsectarian  views.  This  apparent 
contradiction  is  inexplicable  until  the  development  of  the  New 


164  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

England  town  is  studied  and  the  threads  of  its  religious  life  are 
gathered  together. 

Take  a  tour  through  the  old  colonial  towns  near  Concord. 
In  all  of  them,  in  some  central  location,  generally  by  the  town 
common  which  in  those  days  surrounded  the  church,  a  white 
spire  ornamenting  the  most  conspicuous  church  of  the  village, 
some  of  them  illustrative  of  the  best  architecture  of  a  hundred 
years  ago,  will  meet  your  view.  It  is  the  church,  the  old  church 
of  the  town.  It  is  of  the  Unitarian  faith  which  he  espoused. 
It  is  the  revolt  of  the  independent,  God-fearing,  truth-seeking 
Puritan,  who  in  the  progress  of  generations  worked  his  way 
through  narrowness  and  bigotry  to  a  broad  conception  of  the 
relations  between  God  and  man,  so  that  in  the  Puritan  district 
of  Massachusetts  to-day  there  is  a  more  liberal,  independent, 
and  conscientious  religious  opinion  than  in  almost  any  other 
section  of  the  country.  The  Puritan  reaction  swung  far,  far 
ther  than  some  of  us  can  follow,  but  it  evolved  a  manhood 
which  in  philosophy,  statesmanship,  and  literature  has  not  had 
its  equal  in  the  history  of  the  American  nation.  Senator  HOAR 
\vras  a  type  of  the  best  product  of  that  evolution. 

We  know  through  his  autobiography  it  was  not  his  intention 
to  enter  public  life.  His  brief  service  in  the  Massachusetts 
house  of  representatives  and  senate  \vas  not  specially  attractive 
to  him.  His  success  at  the  bar  wras  so  quickly  and  easily  won 
that  he  expected  and  was  satisfied  with  its  honors  and  emolu 
ments.  It  absorbed  his  time  and  attention.  It  was  only  great 
occasions,  then,  which  brought  him  into  public  notice.  The 
analytical  cast  of  his  mind,  his  logical  powers,  his  command  of 
precedent,  his  grasp  of  principles,  and  his  ability  to  marshal 
facts  made  him  a  formidable  antagonist  in  the  great  causes  in 
which  he  was  engaged.  It  was  not  through  his  seeking  that 
at  43  years  of  age  he  again  entered  political  life.  For  eight 


Address  of  Mr.  Tirrell,  of  Massachusetts          \  65 

years  he  represented  his  district  in  Congress;  for  twenty-seven 
years  thereafter  he  was  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States. 
Thus  for  thirty-five  consecutive  years,  and  until  his  death,  he 
was  in  the  public  service. 

I  can  think  of  no  better  illustration  of  the  basis  of  his  polit 
ical  action  throughout  this  period  than  by  a  remark  he  uttered 
at  a  centennial  address  to  which  I  listened  a  few  years  ago. 
He  traced  the  history  of  the  old  town  from  its  early  settlement, 
bringing,  as  was  his  wont,  the  worthies  of  the  early  days 
before  us.  He  told  us  what  they  had  done  to  fashion  and 
upbuild  the  nation,  and  emphasized  the  underlying  thought  of 
his  discourse  that  their  record  showed  and  history  proved  that 
righteousness  alone  could  save  the  nation.  Temporary  expe 
dients  would  fail.  Policy  would  be  ineffective.  Injustice 
would  defeat  its  own  ends.  Equal  rights,  equal  laws,  equal 
privileges,  for  rich  and  poor,  high  and  low — these  were  the 
prerogatives  of  all. 

How  he  illustrated  this  in  his  long  career!  He  never  truckled 
to  public  opinion.  He  was  the  most  independent  partisan  of 
our  generation.  He  was  at  times  at  variance  with  his  party  on 
vital  issues,  yet  held  unshaken  its  loyalty  and  support.  He 
was  unanimously  reelected  when  he  dissented  from  the  almost 
unanimous  attitude  of  his  party  on  a  party  issue.  The  position 
was  unique  and  puzzling  if  you  did  not  know  the  man.  It  was 
because  he  was  honest,  fearless,  conscientious,  and  righteous  in 
his  motives  and  actions.  It  was  because  we  knew  he  could  not 
be  otherwise  and  just  to  himself.  It  was  because  his  life,  as  an 
open  book,  was  before  us,  and  we  believed  that  the  tortures  of 
the  Inquisition,  aye,  the  martyr's  fate,  could  not  turn  that 
righteous  soul.  So  he  won  our  respect,  admiration,  and  love 
in  his  public  career  as  one  removed  from  the  limitations  of  the 


1 66  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

politician,  and  from  whom  it  was  not  necessary  to  seek  an 
explanation. 

Of  course,  these  were  but  incidents  in  a  long  and  illustrious 
career.  Even  he  could  not  have  retained  party  support  unless 
he  essentially  represented  his  party's  principles. /'He  was  an 
ardent  advocate  and  supporter  of  Republican  tenets,  and  in 
great  crises  in  his  party's  history  one  of  its  most  prominent 
defenders.  I  remember  once  at  a  State  convention  in  Mas 
sachusetts  he  was  called  upon  unexpectedly  to  address  the 
delegates.  For  half  an  hour  he  held  them  enthralled  as  he 
rehearsed  his  party's  history.  It  was  the  most  remarkable 
exhibition  "of  extemporaneous  eloquence  I  ever  listened  to, 
not  even  Phillips  or  Burlingame  or  Andrew  or  Sumner,  as  I 
have  heard  them,  equaling  that  effort. 

He  had  a  felicitous  choice  of  words,  a  loftiness  of  thought, 
an  aptness  of  quotation,  a  grasp  of  historical  detail,  a  famil 
iarity  with  the  best  literature,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  great 
men  and  deeds  of  all  ages,  so  that  his  address,  while  ornate 
at  times,  was  so  elevating  in  character,  so  choice  in  expression, 
so  abounding  in  illustration  drawn  from  an  unerring  memory, 
that  to  hear  him  at  his  best  was  part  of  a  liberal  education. 
He  had  a  memory  that  never  failed  him  in  oration  or  debate. 
In  the  campaign  of  1900  he  opened  the  canvass  in  his  native 
town.  I  sat  upon  the  platform  by  his  side.  He  held  a  huge 
pile  of  manuscript  in  his  hand  containing  a  speech  it  was  his 
purpose  to  deliver.  He  told  me  it  was  his  custon  to  write  out 
and  read  his  first  address  and  afterwards  to  speak  extempo 
raneously.  I  remarked  that  I  enjoyed  his  extemporaneous 
addresses  best.  Whether  it  was  my  remark  or  not  I  can 
not  say,  but  when  it  came  his  turn  he  placed  the  manuscript 
upon  the  desk  and  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  without  turning  a 
leaf  or  referring  to  the  manuscript,  addressed  the  audience. 


Address  of  ^fr.  Tirrell,  of  Massachusetts          167 

The  next  morning  the  manuscript  copy  appeared  in  the  daily 
papers,  and  in  sequence,  thought,  argument,  reference,  and 
words  it  appeared  to  be  identical  with  the  one  delivered.  It 
seemed  to  me  at  the  time  an  astonishing  feat  of  memory. 
His  scholarship,  memory,  industry,  and  natural  gift>  made 
him  a  leader  in  great  events  in  his  public  career,  rf 

He  was  one  of  the  managers  in  the  impeachment  case  of 
1876.  He  was  one  of  the  Klectoral  Commission  of  1877.  He 
was  a  constructive  statesman,  as  the  tenure-of -office  act,  the 
Presidential-succession  law,  the  bankruptcy  law,  and  the  anti 
trust  enactments  attest.  He  was  an  indefatigable  worker. 
^  One  watching  him  in  the  Senate  might  think  him  idly  passing 
away  the  hour.  He  was  watching  and  listening.  He  seemed 
indifferent  to  what  was  going  on.  But  let  an  error  in  argu 
ment  be  made  or  a  misstatement  of  fact  asserted,  or,  to  him, 
false  conclusions  drawn  in  the  course  of  that  debate,  and 
instantly  his  voice  would  ring  throughout  the  Chamber. 
Some  might  say  there  was  a  brusqueness  in  his  manner.  His 
voice  was  not  melodious  and  honeyed  words  were  not  natural 
to  him.  He  was  too  sincere  to  touch  even  the  hem  of  a 
hypocrite's  garment.  He  said  what  he  meant,  though  not 
intentionally  would  he  wound  a  friend.  He  wanted  friendship 
and  sympathy,  but  not  if  thereby  there  was  to  lie  a  sacrifice  of 
principle^  If  he  believed  a  man  to  be  a  demagogue  or  dis 
honest  he  was  unrelenting  in  his  opposition  and  vitriolic  in  his 
wrath.  He  did  not  want  his  friendship.  He  courted  his 
opposition..  But  for  all  others  was  the  outstretched  hand  and 
kindly  heart.  He  had  the  sympathy  of  a  great  man,  ready  to 
aid,  when  practicable,  in  trivial  as  well  as  important  matters. 
When  the  light  of  such  a  name  goes  out  the  shadows  for  a 
while  appear  to  gather.  But  not  for  long,  for  his  work 
remaineth  in  imperishable  record  in  the  history  of  his  State 


1 68  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

and  country.  He  rests  in  Sleepy  Hollow  Cemetery,  in  Con 
cord.  Near  him  is  the  grave  of  Emerson,  the  first  of  American 
philosophers,  the  seer  of  the  idealism  of  American  youth. 
There  is  also  Thoreau,  whose  spirit  yet  seems  haunting  the 
hills  and  valleys  of  Sleepy  Hollow  or  along  the  shores  of  Lake 
Waldon,  not  far  away.  There  also  is  Alcott,  the  American 
teacher,  and  his  family,  so  widely  kno\vn.  There  also,  only  a 
few  feet  away,  lies  the  greatest  of  American  romancers,  who 
in  the  little  room  at  the  old  Salem  custom-house  penned  the 
Scarlet  Letter,  whose  conclusion  is  indeed  the  life  lesson  of  him 
of  whom  we  speak,  wherein  Hawthorne  says  that  he  has  failed 
in  his  purpose  unless  he  has  shown  in  this  work  he  had  created 
that  in  living  and  dying  we  must  Be  True,  Be  True. 


Address  of  Mr.  Clark,  of  Missouri  I'M 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  CLARK,  OF  MISSOURI 

Mr.  SPEAKKR:  That  Senator  GKOKC.K  FRISBIK  HOAR  will 
hold  a  high  place  ami  fill  a  large  space  in  the  annals  of  his  time 
goes  without  saying.  Of  Revolutionary  stock,  a  descendant  of 
Roger  Sherman,  he  was  American  to  his  heart's  core,  and  he 
devoted  his  life  to  the  service  of  the  Republic,  which  rewarded 
him  with  her  affection,  her  confidence,  and  her  admiration. 
His  lines  were  cast  in  pleasant  places  and  in  a  history-making 
epoch.  Though  sometimes  he  was  viciously  assailed,  at  others 
he  ran  the  risk  of  having  applied  to  him  the  Scriptural  injunc 
tion,  "Woe  unto  you  when  all  men  shall  speak  well  of  you," 
and  at  last,  having  almost  reached  the  Psalmist's  extreme 
allotment  of  fourscore  years,  he  had  that— 

Which  should  accompany  okl  a^e, 

As  honor,  love,  obedience,  troops  of  friends. 

Pleasant  as  it  would  be  to  me  to  enter  into  the  details  of  his 
life,  character,  and  labor,  that  delightful  task  must  be  left  to 
others  closer  to  him  and  more  familiar  with  those  facts  which 
constitute  the  essentials  of  biography;  but  the  invitation  to 
speak  here  and  now  has  suggested  to  my  mind  a  few  thoughts 
which  may  or  may  not  be  of  interest  to  those  who  hear  and 
read  what  is  uttered  on  this  occasion. 

Job  exclaimed:  "Oh,  that  mine  adversary  had  written  a 
lx>ok ! ' '  From  that  day  to  this  when  a  man  has  taken  his  pen 
in  hand  to  write  a  book  it  has  been  assumed  that  he  also  took 
his  reputation,  if  not  his  life,  in  his  hand;  but  the  fact  that 
what  the  man  of  Uz  considered  an  extrahazardous  performance 
is  not  necessarily  fatal  to  the  performer  is  demonstrated  by  the 


170  Life  and  Character  of  George  P.  Hoar 

event  of  the  November  election,  when  Col.  Theodore  Roose 
velt,  who  has  written  many  books,  in  which  he  expressed  his 
opinions  of  persons  and  things  with  startling  freedom,  not  to 
say  abandon,  was  chosen  President  of  this  puissant  Republic  by 
an  overwhelming  majority.  This  seems  to  signify  that  the 
American  people  admire  candid  and  courageous  speaking — even 
in  a  book. 

However  that  may  be,  I  rejoice  and  hail  it  as  a  healthy  sign 
of  the  times  that  our  public  men  are  more  and  more  growing 
into  the  habit  of  writing,  in  the  evening  of  their  lives,  books  of 
a  more  or  less  reminiscent  nature,  recording  from  their  stand 
point  their  views  of  the  transactions  which  they  witnessed  and 
part  of  which  they  were.  What  they  say  in  that  regard  may 
be  taken  and  accepted  as  part  of  the  res  gestae. 

Caesar  owes  as  much  of  his  fame  to  his  Commentaries  as  to 
his  victories.  The  fruits  of  his  conquests  have  long  since  per 
ished.  The  mighty  empire  which  he  founded  has  crumbled 
into  dust.  Happily  for  mankind,  the  system  of  government 
for  which  his  name  has  become  the  synonym  is  in  process  of 
ultimate  extinction;  but  by  his  Commentaries  he  has  helped  to 
form  the  minds  of  the  youths  of  every  civilized  country  under 
heaven,  through  twenty  centuries  of  man's  most  interesting 
history  and  most  stupendous  endeavor.  So  long  as  education 
is  valued  Caesar  will  exercise  imperial  sway  over  the  human 
mind,  not  by  the  power  of  his  invincible  sword,  which  is  rust, 
but  by  his  cunning  with  the  pen.  Fighting  was  the  serious 
business  of  his  life.  The  preparation  of  his  Commentaries 
was  merely  a  mental  recreation  in  his  tent  at  eventide,  amid 
the  clatter  of  camps  and  the  clangor  of  arms.  Had  he 
been  catechised  as  to  his  deeds  on  which  would  be  builded  the 
towering  fabric  of  his  fame,  he  most  probably  would  not  have 
enumerated  his  Commentaries  as  even  the  smallest  and  hum- 


Address  of  Mr.  Clark,  of  Missouri  1 7 1 

blest  of  them,  but  they  constitute  his  clearest,  strongest,  and 
most  enduring  title  to  the  favorable  consideration  of  mankind. 
Napoleon,  the  most  astounding  son  of  Mars,  with  clearer 
vision  and  a  wiser  judgment  as  to  the  relative  value  of  human 
achievements,  proudly  declared  that  he  would  descend  to  pos 
terity  with  his  Code  in  his  hand,  a  prophecy  which  has  been 
amply  verified.  The  crimson  glories  of  Montenotte,  Lodi, 
Arcola,  Marengo,  the  Pyramids,  Austerlitz,  Him,  Jena,  and 
Wagram  were  dimmed  by  Leipzig,  Waterloo,  and  the  dismal 
journey  to  St.  Helena;  the  thrones  which  he  ravished  from 
hostile  kings  and  bestowed  upon  his  brothers,  sisters,  and 
stable  lx>ys  passed  again  to  his  royal  enemies  whom  he  had 
despoiled;  the  imperial  crown,  bought  with  so  much  blood 
and  so  much  crime  for  his  son,  never  encircled  the  brow  of 
that  pathetic  child  of  misfortune;  but  the  laws  created  by  the 
fiat  of  the  Corsican  Colossus  influence  and  bless  the  lives  of 
75,000,000  people,  because  they  were  grounded  in  justice  and 
in  wisdom.  His  career  illustrates  and  enforces  the  truth  con 
tained  in  Bulwer-Lytton's  famous  lines: 

Beneath  the  rule  of  men  entirely  great 
The  pen  is  mightier  than  the  sword. 

Others  have  marched  as  strenuously  and  fought  as  bravely 
as  Xenophon  and  his  ten  thousand,  only  to  vanish  into 
oblivion;  but  he  and  his  band  are  among  the  immortals 
because  he  wrote  the  Anabasis,  which  has  delighted  and 
instructed  millions  of  ambitious  boys  and  which  will  delight 
and  instruct  succeeding  millions  till  the  earth  shall  perish 
with  fervent  heat. 

The  triumphal  expedition  of  Gen.  Alexander  \V.  Doniphan 
and  his  heroic  Missourians  into  the  heart  of  Mexico  by  way 
of  Santa  Fe,  traversing  a  vast  wilderness  full  of  hostile 
savages;  subsisting  on  the  enemy's  country;  winning  numer- 


172  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

ous  victories  over  the  very  flower  of  the  descendants  of  the 
knights  of  Castile  and  Aragon;  never  losing  a  gun,  a  flag, 
a  prisoner,  or  a  skirmish,  though  frequently  engaging  ten 
times  their  own  number;  never  drawing  from  the  Govern 
ment  a  dollar,  a  ration,  a  piece  of  clothing,  or  an  ounce  of 
ammunition  from  the  moment  they  left  Fort  Lea ven worth, 
Kans. ,  till,  ragged,  starving,  but  invincible,  they  reported  to 
Gen.  Zachary  Taylor  on  the  red  field  of  Monterey,  having 
added  an  empire  to  the  Union,  is  the  most  astounding  mar 
tial  achievement  in  the  entire  history  of  the  human  race. 
In  difficulty,  in  courage,  in  fortitude,  in  glory,  in  results  it 
eclipses  utterly  the  far-famed  retreat  which  Xenophon  has 
embalmed  in  immortal  prose. 

Every  schoolboy  knows  by  heart  the  fascinating  story  of 
the  Greeks;  but  few  remember  the  more  wonderful  perform 
ance  of  the  Missourians.  Mirabile  dictu!  The  glorious  name 
of  Doniphan,  the  conqueror  of  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  and 
Chihuahua,  does  not  even  appear  in  some  of  our  most  ambi 
tious  encyclopedias.  The  reason  is  that  General  Doniphan, 
of  Missouri,  did  not  emulate  the  laudable  example  of  General 
Xenophon,  of  Greece,  by  writing  a  history  of  his  own  cam 
paign;  consequently  he  and  the  brave  Missourians  who  fol 
lowed  his  all-conquering  banner  are  to  dumb  forgetfulness  a 
prey.  "  'Tis  true  'tis  pity;  and  pity  'tis  'tis  true."  While 
I  am  not  general  counsel  for  the  star  actors  in  the  world's 
drama,  I  make  bold  to  suggest  to  them  that  if  they  desire 
a  square  deal  in  history  they  would  do  well  to  imitate 
Caesar  and  Xenophon  and  write  the  histories  themselves. 

Who  cares  a  straw  what  Joseph  Addison  did  or  did  not 
do  as  Secretary  of  State?  But  who  that  has  a  love  of  learn 
ing  in  his  heart  would  be  willing  to  see  the  last  copy  of  the 
Tattler  and  the  Spectator  committed  to  the  flames? 


Address  of  Mr.  Clark,  of  Missouri  173 

John  Milton  wrought  much  and  successfully  in  the  cause 
of  human  liberty,  but  Paradise  Lost  is  his  crowning  glory. 

Lord  Macaulay,  the  statesman,  the  lawgiver,  the  office 
holder,  would  have  been  forgotten  years  ago,  but  so  long  as 
our  vernacular  —  the  most  elastic  and  virile  ever  spoken  by 
the  children  of  men  —  is  used  the  history,  the  poems,  and, 
al)ove  all,  the  essays  of  Thomas  Babbington  Macaulay  will 
inspire  the  human  mind  and  thrill  the  human  heart. 

Kvery  scholar  that  has  lived  during  three  centuries  has 
regretted  that  Lord  Bacon  was  ever  high  chancellor  of  En 
gland,  an  office  which  he  disgraced,  and  in  disgracing  which 
he  also  disgraced  the  noble  profession  of  the  law:  but  every 
scholar — aye,  every  lover  of  our  kind — in  all  that  long  lapse 
of  years  has  thanked  Almighty  God  that  Francis  Bacon 
wrote  the  Xovum  Organum  and  I)e  Augmentis,  by  which, 
turning  the  human  mind  to  utilitarianism,  he  contributed 
more  to  human  comfort  than  was  ever  contributed  by  any 
other  of  the  multitudinous  sons  of  Adam. 

The  imperial  house  of  Austria  has  long  1>een  a  great 
factor  in  European  affairs.  Henry  Fielding,  the  English 
novelist,  was  related  to  it  by  ties  of  blood;  but  Gibbon,  the 
historian  of  The  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire, 
declares  that  Fielding,  by  writing  Tom  Jones,  shed  more 
luster  upon  our  race  than  all  the  Hapsburgers  that  ever 
lived. 

Of  what  interest  to  us  are  the  achievements  of  Bulwer 
pere  in  the  role  of  statesman,  or  of  Bulwer  fils  as  governor- 
general  of  India?  But  till  the  end  of  time  men  will  read 
with  interest  and  women  with  tears  Eugene  Aram  and 
Lucile. 

Thomas  Brackett  Reed,  that  masterful  man  whose  memory 
we  all  cherish  with  infinite  pride,  was  one  of  the  great 


174  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Speakers  of  this  House,  and  accomplished  a  tremendous  revo 
lution  in  parliamentary  procedure ;  but  his  fame  is  already  a 
fading  tradition.  What  would  not  the  world  give  for  a  book 
from  his  trenchant  pen  expressing  his  honest  opinions  as  to 
the  men  and  measures  with  which  he  was  associated?  It 
would  be  a  fit  companion  piece  for  Gulliver  and  The  Letters 
of  Junius. 

Senator  Chauncey  Mitchell  Depew  ranks  high  in  the  Senate; 
but  the  best  service  he  could  render  his  kind  would  be  to  devote 
his  days  and  nights  to  writing  a  book  of  reminiscences.  Many 
New  Yorkers  would  make  creditable  Senators;  but  no  other 
living  man  could  write  a  book  of  such  intense  and  abiding 
interest  as  could  Senator  Depew. 

There  has  been  much  sneering  at  "  the  scholar  in  politics." 
That  manifestation  of  bad  temper  and  jealousy  is  easy  and 
cheap.  On  a  memorable  occasion  an  eminent  practical  Penn 
sylvania  politician  referred  to  an  illustrious  citizen  of  Boston 
who  had  been  named  for  a  high  diplomatic  post  as  ' '  one  of 
them  literary  fellows,"  with  a  profane  adjective  which  the 
proprieties  forbid  me  to  repeat  in  this  distinguished  presence  on 
this  historic  occasion.  Nevertheless  and  notwithstanding,  Col. 
Thomas  Hart  Benton,  of  Missouri,  by  writing  his  Thirty  Years' 
View  did  more  to  make  himself  a  great  and  indispensable 
historic  figure  than  he  accomplished  by  his  arduous  service  of 
six  full  Roman  lustrums  in  the  Senate  and  two  years  in  the 
House.  As  long  as  government  exists  on  this  continent  he 
will  be  regarded  as  a  standard  authority  on  all  matters  pertain 
ing  to  Congressional  legislation.  By  writing  his  Twenty  Years 
of  Congress  James  Gillespie  Blaine  made  a  most  valuable  con 
tribution  to  our  political  literature  and  achieved  for  himself  a 
more  permanent  renown  than  if  the  supreme  ambition  of  his 
heart  had  been  gratified  by  an  election  to  the  Presidency. 


Address  of  Mr.  Clark,  of  Missouri  175 

Samuel  Sullivan  Cox,  one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  mortals,  a 
Representative  in  Congress  for  many  years  from  both  Ohio  and 
New  York,  as  well  as  minister  to  the  Sublime  Porte,  and  the 
first  man  that  ever  delivered  a  speech  in  this  Hall,  may  fade 
from  public  memory  as  a  statesman,  but  The  Buckeye  Abroad, 
Why  We  Laugh,  and  The  Three  Decades  of  Federal  Legislation 
will  l^e  perused  with  pleasure  by  millions  yet  unborn. 

For  thirty-odd  years,  in  House  and  Senate,  GEORGE  FRISHIE 
HOAR  was  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  legislators  and  orators 
of  the  times  in  which  he  lived.  No  great  statute  was  placed 
upon  the  books  which  he  did  not  have  a  hand  in  shaping. 
No  important  question  arose  which  he  did  not  discuss;  but 
long  after  all  that  he  did  and  said  in  this  Chamber  and  the 
other  has  passed  from  the  minds  of  men  his  Autobiography 
of  Seventy  Years  will  challenge  the  admiration  of  his  coun 
trymen.  His  noblest  mental  offspring  was  the  last. 

Hin  -book  has  been  criticised  on  two  grounds — as  being  too 
egotistical  and  as  assigning  to  Xew  Englanders  in  general, 
and  Massachusetts  men  in  particular,  too  high  rank.  At 
first  blush  I  deemed  both  criticisms  well  taken,  but  upon 
mature  reflection  I  concluded  that  neither  is  tenable.  An 
autobiography,  whether  written  by  a  Harvard  man  or  by  a 
Davy  Crockett,  is  in  the  very  nature  of  things  egotistical, 
for  the  ego  is  the  very  essence  of  the  theme.  "What  might 
be  offensive  or  preposterous  in  private  conversation  or  in 
public  speech  may  be  appropriate  and  even  pleasing  in  auto 
biographical  writing. 

When  he  came  to  the  grateful  task  of  assigning  the  status 
of  New  Englanders  and  Bay  State  men  he  evidently  took  to 
heart  the  precept  of  St.  Paul: 

But  if  any  provide  not  for  his  own,  and  especially  for  those  of  his  own 
house,  he  hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  infidel. 


176  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

Even  if  it  be  conceded  that  he  did  overpraise  the  men  of 
New  England  and  Massachusetts — 

His  failings  leaned  to  virtue's  side. 

For  an  undue  friendliness  to  one's  kindred  and  neighbors 
is  greatly  preferable  to  jealousy  of  them,  and  bears  testimony 
of  a  nobler  soul. 

Indeed,  he  had  much  cause  to  be  lavish  of  paneg)Tric  in 
speaking  of  the  men  of  Massachusetts.  To  merely  walk  the 
streets  of  Boston  and  read  the  inscriptions  on  her  monuments, 
her  statues,  and  her  buildings  is  a  liberal  education  in  patriot 
ism.  Should  an  inhabitant  of  another  planet,  versed  in  both 
Latin  and  English,  descend  upon  that  city,  without  any  prior 
knowledge  of  our  history,  he  would  naturally  conclude  that 
Massachusetts,  single  -  handed  and  alone,  originated  and 
achieved  the  Revolution,  created  the  Republic,  and  has  sus 
tained  and  governed  it  from  the  first.  If  he  should  read 
Massachusetts  books,  which  constitute  a  great  multitude  which 
no  man  can  number,  he  would  be  confirmed  in  this  erroneous 
opinion.  No  complaint  can  reasonably  be  made  of  Massa 
chusetts  or  of  Senator  HOAR  for  unduly  exalting  the  horn  of 
Massachusetts  men.  What  I  do  complain  of  is  that  the  people 
of  the  South  and  West  have  not  pursued  the  same  plan  with 
their  own  worthies,  and  have  permitted  them  to  be  killed  off 
by  the  inexorable  rule  of  exclusion.  Their  pioneer  statesmen, 
warriors,  orators,  and  State  builders  were  content  to  do  things, 
great  and  glorious  things,  but  were  careless  of  what  record  was 
made  of  their  achievements.  The  incorrigible  New  England 
habit  of  book-making  accounts  for  the  fact  that  her  influence 
in  America  is  large  out  of  all  proportion  to  her  area,  popu 
lation,  or  achievements.  Her  writers  would  be  destitute  of 
human  nature  if  they  were  not  biased — unconsciously,  per 
haps,  but  biased  nevertheless — in  favor  of  New  England  men, 


Address  of  Mr.  Clark,  of  Missouri  177 

New  England  women,  New  England  performance,  New 
England  scenery,  New  England  opinion,  and  even  of  New 
England  climate.  Of  course  the  ground  already  lost  by 
the  South  and  West  in  this  regard  can  never  be  recovered; 
but  surely  it  is  high  time  to  go  resolutely,  systematically,  and 
extensively  into  the  lxx)k-making  business  themselves.  This 
much  they  owe  to  their  ancesters,  to  themselves,  to  their 
I>osterity,  to  history,  to  truth,  and  to  patriotism. 

Thousands  of  statesmen,  orators,  soldiers,  and  lawyers  have 
lived  and  been  forgotten;  but  it  may  be  safely  stated  that 
since  Guttenburg  invented  movable  types  no  man  has  written 
a  really  great  book  who  is  not  still  remembered  by  intelligent 
persons. 

Macaulay  says: 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  circumstances  in  the  history  of  Bacon's 
mind  is  the  order  in  which  its  powers  expanded  themselves.  With  him 
the  fruit  came  first  and  remained  to  the  last.  The  blossoms  did  not  appear 
till  late.  In  general,  the  development  of  the  fancy  is  to  the  development 
of  the  judgment  what  the  growth  of  a  girl  is  to  the  growth  of  a  bov.  The 
fancy  attains  at  an  earlier  period  to  the  perfection  of  its  beauty,  its  power, 
and  its  fruitfulness,  and,  as  it  is  first  to  ripen,  it  is  also  first  to  fade.  It 
has  generally  lost  something  of  its  bloom  and  freshness  before  the  sterner 
faculties  have  reached  maturity,  and  is  commonly  withered  and  barren 
while  those  faculties  still  retain  all  their  energy.  It  rarely  happens  that 
the  fancy  and  the  judgment  grow  together.  It  happens  still  more  rarely 
that  the  judgment  grows  faster  than  the  fancy.  This  seems,  however,  to 
have  been  the  case  with  Bacon.  His  boyhood  and  youth  appear  to  have 
l>een  singularly  sedate.  His  gigantic  scheme  of  philosophical  reform  is 
said  by  some  writers  to  have  been  planned  before  he  was  15,  and  was 
undoubtedly  planned  while  he  was  still  young.  He  observed  as  vigilantly, 
meditated  as  deeply,  and  judged  as  temperately  when  he  gave  his  first 
work  to  the  world  as  at  the  close  of  his  long  career.  But  in  eloquence, 
in  sweetness,  and  variety  of  expression,  and  in  richness  of  illustration, 
his  later  writings  are  far  superior  to  those  of  his  youth. 

These    words    may    be    applied    almost    literally    to   Senator 
HOAR.  // From  the  day  he  delivered  his  great  philippic  against 
Mr.  Secretary  Belknap  to  the  hour  of  his  death  he  spoke  as 
S.  Doc.  201,  58-3 12 


178  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

frequently  perhaps  as  any  other  man  in  public  life,  and  every 
word  that  fell  from  his  lips  was  read  with  eagerness  by  the 
intelligence  of  America.  His  style  constantly  grew  richer,--' 
more  imaginative,  and  more  ornate,  until  some  of  his  later 
speeches  partook  largely  of  the  nature  of  epic  poems.  The 
peculiar  order  of  growth  which  Macaulay  notes  in  Bacon's 
mind,  and  which  I  have  just  stated  to  be  true  with  reference 
to  Senator  HOAR'S,  is  also  true,  though  in  a  lesser  degree, 
of  the  intellects  of  Grover  Cleveland,  Benjamin  Harrison,  and 
William  McKinley.  The  feature  in  which  their  minds  and 
styles  seem  to  have  changed  most  markedly  in  their  advanced 
years  was  that  of  humor.  Prior  to  their  induction  into  the 
Presidential  office  it  would  be  difficult  to  discover  even  a 
trace  of  humor  in  their  writings  or  their  speeches;  but  after 
quitting  the  \Vhite  House  both  Mr.  Cleveland  and  General 
Harrison  developed  a  rich  vein  of  humor.  On  his  trip  to 
California  President  McKinley  lightened  up  his  speeches  with 
genial  humor,  which  was  a  grateful  surprise  to  his  country 
men.  Even  on  his  deathbed  he  uttered  one  delicious  mot 
at  the  expense  of  his  physicians.  I  hold  it  truth  that  this 
development  of  humor  in  these  three  illustrious  citizens  of 
the  Republic  was  so  much  clear  gain  to  all  our  people. 

It  may  possibly  be — who  knows? — that  these  men  were 
dowered  with  the  humorous  faculty  at  birth,  but  the  occupa 
tions  of  their  lives  had  been  so  serious  and  so  pressing  that 
they  never  had  leisure  or  inclination  to  indulge  its  exercise. 

It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  that  they  did  develop 
that  faculty,  for  I  believe  in  Carlyle's  dictum  that  "Humor 
has  justly  been  regarded  as  the  finest  perfection  of  poetic 
genius. ' ' 

The  career  of  Senator  HOAR  suggests  still  another 
thought  —  that  all  the  world,  including  Massachusetts,  is 


Address  of  ^fr.  Clark,  of  Missouri  179 

growing  more  liberal  and  more  tolerant.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  Massachusetts  has  always  been  liberal  and  tolerant 
alx>ve  the  average  in  the  range  of  opinion  permitted  to  her 
public  men.  Nevertheless,  the  fact  remains  that  Boston 
shut  the  doors  of  Fanenil  Hall  in  the  face  of  Daniel 
Webster,  the  greatest  New  Knglander  who  ever  saw  the 
light  of  day,  the  greatest  orator  who  ever  spoke  the  English 
tongue,  and  that  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts  passed 
resolutions  of  censure  upon  Charles  Sunnier,  because  they 
had  run  counter  to  the  public  sentiment  of  their  constitu 
encies.  But  Senator  HOAR'S  was  a  happier  fate,  for, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  ran  counter  to  her  public 
sentiment  more  frequently  and  more  violently  than  either 
Sumner  or  the  godlike  Daniel,  Massachusetts  reelected  him 
in  his  extreme  old  age  to  a  fifth  full  term  in  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States.  With  her  increasing  generosity  the  Old 
Bay  State  would  probably  have  kept  him  in  the  Senate  a 
half  century  had  he  lived  so  long.  This  wiser  liberality  was 
not  only  an  honor  to  Massachusetts  and  a  gratification  to 
Senator  HOAR,  but  is  an  added  glory  to  the  Republic  and 
to  the  human  race. 


180  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  DRISCOLL,  OF  NEW  YORK 

Mr.  SPEAKER:  I  came  to  these  memorial  exercises  to  listen 
to  the  eulogies  on  the  life  and  services  of  Senator  HOAR  deliv 
ered  by  those  who  knew  him  best  and  respected  him  most 
highly,  by  his  friends  in  the  Massachusetts  delegation,  who 
admired  and  loved  him.  The  words  uttered  have  been  earnest 
and  beautiful  and  form  an  appropriate  tribute  to  the  memory 
of  the  great  departed.  It  is  not  possible  for  me  to  strengthen 
or  embellish  what  has  been  said,  yet  my  admiration  for  the 
deceased  statesman  was  so  intense  that  I  can  not  let  this 
occasion  pass  without  adding  1113-  humble  offering  of  respect 
and  esteem  to  the  memory  of  this  great  American,  although 
I  can  not  fittingly  state  my  high  regard  for  him  as  a  man  and 
my  appreciation  for  his  services  to  the  people. 

He  was  indeed  a  grand  and  good  man.  His  State  and  coun 
try  have  suffered  a  great  loss.  He  personified  the  highest  type 
of  the  New  England  citizen,  and  therefore  of  the  American 
citizen.  He  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  a  descendant 
through  many  generations  of  Puritan  ancestors.  The}-  were  a 
remarkable  people — severe,  austere,  uncharitable,  and  perhaps 
bigoted,  but  they  were  the  result  of  trying  and  heroic  times 
and  conditions.  They  feared  God  and  nothing  else.  They 
were  persecuted  in  their  native  land  for  conscience  sake,  and 
bade  farewell  to  their  homes  and  friends,  embarked  in  a  frail 
and  unseaworthy  craft,  braved  the  dangers  of  an  unexplored 
ocean,  and  landed  on  the  frost-bound  shores  of  a  hostile  wilder 
ness;  and  they  dared  all  and  endured  all  for  their  convictions. 

They  fought   their  way   against  an    inclement  climate  and 


Address  of  Mr.  Driscoll,  of  New  York  181 

sterile  soil,  savage  beasts,  and  more  savage  men.  They  felled 
the  forests  and  erected  churches,  schools,  and  colleges,  and 
established  a  cradle  of  liberty  in  which  was  bred  a  remarkable 
galaxy  of  poets,  historians,  scholars,  orators,  philosophers, 
statesmen,  and  patriots.  Trial  and  adversity  made  them  strong 
and  self-reliant.  They  were  frugal,  industrious,  temperate, 
honest,  capable,  and  enterprising. 

Senator  HOAR  was  an  offspring  of  that  stock  and  civilization. 
He  inherited  their  sterling  virtues,  and  by  broad  scholarship, 
the  liberal  spirit  of  modern  Harvard,  extensive  travel,  and 
.acquaintance  with  many  peoples  and  customs,  and  a  mind 
always  open  and  in  search  of  light  and  truth,  he  became  more 
mellow,  charitable,  and  lovable  than  his  rigid  forefathers.  His 
father  was  an  able  lawyer,  in  easy  circumstances,  and  the  son 
was  given  the  best  opportunities  for  education  and  culture, 
which  he  diligently  improved.  He  graduated  from  Harvard 
at  20,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  at  22,  and  was  elected 
to  the  Massachusetts  house  of  representatives  at  26.  From 
that  time  on  he  was  almost  continuously  in  public  life,  in  the 
service  of  his  city,  county,  State,  and  nation.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  and  took  an  active  interest  in  many  charitable, 
literary,  and  historical  associations.  He  continued  the  practice 
of  his  profession,  and  by  reason  of  his  industry,  systematic 
habits,  and  remarkable  mental  equipment  he  did  well  every 
thing  he  undertook. 

He  was  a  Republican  in  politics  and  firmly  believed  his 
party  the  only  one  competent  to  properly  conduct  the  affairs 
of  government;  yet  because  he  was  an  independent  thinker 
he  sometimes  differed  with  the  majority  of  his  party  leaders 
in  the  Senate,  and  expressed  his  views  according  to  his  con 
victions.  However,  he  never  lost  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  his  colleagues  in  that  body  on  either  side  of  the  Chaml>er, 


1 82  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

jor  while  they  could  not  concur  with  his  views  they  fully 
believed  in  his  honesty,  sincerity,  patriotism,  and  singleness 
of  purpose.  And  be  it  said  to  the  credit  of  Massachusetts  that 
when  last  returned  to  the  Senate  he  was  in  open  opposition  to 
the  Administration's  Philippine  policy,  with  which  the  Repub 
lican  party  of  his  State  was  in  accord. 

That  was  the  last  great  political,  intellectual,  and  moral  bat 
tle  of  his  eventful  career.  To  him  it  was  essentially  a  moral 
question.  He  took  his  stand  not  from  selfishness  or  through 
a  spirit  of  antagonism.  He  was  too  big,  too  high-minded,  too 
patriotic  for  that.  He  believed  that  the  Administration,  in  the 
ratification  of  the  Treaty  of  Paris,  was  forgetful  of  the  teach 
ings  of  the  fathers;  that  it  was  drifting  away  from  the  tradi 
tions,  ideals,  and  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  Republic. 
That  treaty  followed  close  on  the  victory  over  Spain.  Our 
people  were  excited.  The  fire  of  battle  was  in  their  blood. 
The  greed  for  more  land  seemed  to  have  taken  possession  of 
them.  The  spirit  of  expansion  and  commercialism  was  domi 
nant.  The  Senators  who  approved  the  treaty  doubtless  believed 
they  were  recording  the  prevailing  sentiments  of  their  several 
constituencies.  They  yielded  to  the  temporary  clamor  and 
appropriated  the  Philippines.  Not  so  Senator  HOAR.  He 
comprehended  the  situation.  He  seemed  to  see  the  end  from 
the  beginning.  He  had  clear  and  positive  views  and  the  cour 
age  to  express  them. 

In  that  memorable  parliamentary  debate  he  stood  almost 
alone  on  the  Republican  side  of  the  Chamber,  taxing  to  the 
utmost  the  great  powers  of  his  brave  heart  and  resourceful 
brain,  striving  to  convince  his  colleagues  that  the  ratification  of 
that  treaty  would  prove  to  be  a  grave  mistake.  Conscious  that 
he  was  right,  he  yielded  not  to  the  taunts  of  his  enemies  or  the 
appeals  of  his  friends,  like  the  letter  read  by  Mr.  Levering. 


Address  of  Mr.  Driscoll,  of  New  York  183 

He  went  down  to  defeat,  but  he  had  the  consolation  of  having 
stood  by  his  convictions  and  of  having  remained  true  to  the 
traditions  of  his  State  and  the  long  line  of  his  illustrious 
ancestors.  The  logic  of  events  has  established  the  wisdom  of 
some  of  his  arguments.  It  is  a  pity  that  he  could  not  have 
lived  a  few  years  more,  that  he  might  witness  the  vindication 
of  his  views  and  see  the  pendulum  of  public  opinion  swing 
back  to  the  position  of  unselfish  patriotism  and  true  American 
ism  on  which  he  then  stood. 

He  was  a  constructive  statesman,  and  by  his  thorough  inves 
tigation  of  facts  and  precedents,  _his  analytical  mind  and  intel 
lectual  integrity,  he  explained  and  illumined  many  dry  public 
questions  and  made  them  clear  and  interesting  to  the  ordinary 
reader.  By  his  _ practical  wisdom,  force  of  character,  and 
earnestness  of  purpose  he  impressed  his  personality  on  our 
legislation  to  ~a~ degree  seldom  equaled.  "He  did  not  court 
notoriety,  neither  did  he  avoid  responsibility  in  order  to  escape 
criticism.  He  was  a  man,  of  pnre  mind,  lofty  aspirations,  and 
high  ideals,  and  did  his  duty  day  by  day  as  he  saw  it. 

Only  a  short  time  ago  he  completed  and  published  an  auto 
biography.  It  is  a  work  of  unusual  merit,  written  in  his  sim 
ple,  pure,  delightful  style.  It  illustrates  his  modesty  and 
absence  of  egotism,  for  it  is  a  history  from  personal  knowledge 
of  his  time  rather  than  of  himself  and  what  he  did.  It  is  very 
interesting  and  instructive,  and  a  source  of  inspiration  to  the 
youth  of  our  country. 

He  did  not  close  his  books  at  the  end  of  his  college  course  or 
think  of  having  completed  his  education,  but  continued  the 
enjoyment  of  reading  and  study  during  his  long,  busy  life,  and 
retained  the  buoyancy  and  freshness  of  boyhood,  and  was  one 
of  the  youngest  old  men  in  the  country.  Neither  did  his  ener 
gies  seem  to  abate  with  advancing  years.  He  died  while  in 


184  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

the  full  tide  of  his  moral  and  intellectual  activity  and  at  the 
zenith  of  his  great  fame  and  influence.  His  general  scholar 
ship  and  literary  attainments  were  recognized  in  educational 
centers,  for  honorary  degrees  were  conferred  upon  him  by  many 
of  our  greatest  colleges  and  universities.  He  was  a  favored 
son  of  the  Old  Bay  State.  From  boyhood  he  was  the  recipient 
of  many  social,  literary,  and  political  distinctions,  which  he 
bore  with  such  simplicity  and  grace  that  the  people  delighted 
to  honor  him.  He  was  a  grand  old  man,  respected,  beloved, 
revered  by  all,  and  to-day  Massachusetts  mourns  the  loss  of 
her  first  citizen. 

In  Washington  he  lived  in  a  plain,  temperate,  economical 
manner.  His  influence  was  derived  not  from  grand  dinners 
and  social  functions,  but  from  work  and  worth.  His  power 
was  great,  and  grew  with  his  years  of  service.  His  opportunities 
for  gain  were  many  were  he  pecuniarily  inclined,  yet  it  is  said 
he  died  a  comparatively  poor  man.  This  needs  no  commentary 
in  these  times.  It  speaks  for  itself. 

In  the  United  States  Senate,  a  body  composed  largely  of 
millionaires,  many  of  whom  entered  through  the  financial  door 
way,  Senator  HOAR  stood  almost  alone.  He  was  not  the 
representative  of  any  trust,  combine,  or  special  interest;  neither 
was  he  engaged  in  the  advancement  of  his  own  schemes,  using 
his  office  as  a  means  to  an  end.  He  was  a  plain,  straightfor 
ward,  unassuming  gentleman,  a  profound  thinker,  an  able 
orator,  a  fearless  advocate  of  what  he  believed  to  be  the  best, 
an  accomplished  statesman,  an  incorruptible  patriot,  and  an 
ideal  Senator  of  the  American  Congress.  In  his  death  his 
State  has  lost  her  most  worthy  and  distinguished  son  and  the 
Republic  her  most  able  and  accomplished  legislator,  for,  take 
him  all  in  all,  he  was  the  foremost  character  in  our  public  life. 


Address  of  Mr.  Powers,  of  Massachusetts         185 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  POWERS,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr.  SPEAKER  :  Massachusetts  has  good  reason  to  be  proud 
of  the  long  line  of  eminent  statesmen  which  she  has  given  to 
the  legislative  service  of  the  nation.  The  Commonwealth  has 
been  fortunate  in  the  existence  of  political  conditions  which 
rendered  it  possible  at  all  times  to  select  for  Congressional 
service  men  of  the  highest  character,  ability,  and  devotion  to 
duty.  This  has  been  especially  true  of  her  representation  in 
the  Senate. 

I  appreciate  how  difficult  the  task  of  attempting  to  place  a 
just  estimate  upon  the  character  and  services  of  a  life  at  its 
close.  The  place  which  Mr.  HOAR  will  take  in  American  his 
tory  can  be  far  better  determined  a  generation  hence  than  now. 
Great  political  policies  which  he  espoused  or  opposed  still 
remain  unsettled.  Future  events  must  decide  the  wisdom  and 
value  of  the  opinions  which  he  so  earnestly  and  ably  con 
tended  for  during  the  closing  years  of  his  life.  No  one,  how 
ever,  will  question  but  that  he  was  one  of  the  great  men  of 
the  generation  in  which  he  lived.  He  possessed  those  qualities 
of  character  and  temperament  which  rendered  him  most 
attractive  to  the  American  people.  He  was  aggressive  and 
fearless,  and  at  the  same  time  tolerant  and  liberal.  He 
possessed  intense  convictions,  which  he  was  ready  to  defend 
in  any  field  of  intellectual  conflict.  He  worked  out  his  own 
standards  of  character  and  conduct.  He  was  a  humanitarian 
in  the  broadest  sense  of  the  term.  He  recognized  good  in  all 
mankind.  He  understood  and  sympathized  with  the  tremen 
dous  struggle  of  the  human  race  to  improve  its  condition,  and 
he  was  easily  moved  by  sympathetic  impulses. 


1 86  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

My  acquaintance  with  Mr.  HOAR  began  in  1875.  He  was 
then  a  Representative  in  Congress  from  the  Worcester  district, 
but  he  was  still  in  active  touch  with  the  practice  of  his  pro 
fession  which  he  loved  so  well.  He  was  then  49  years  of 
age.  The  mellowing  influence  of  years  was  not  then  upon 
him.  He  was  the  keen,  caustic,  aggressive  lawyer,  the  equal 
if  not  the  superior  of  any  attorney  of  his  years  in  his  own 
Commonwealth.  By  inheritance,  education,  and  temperament 
he  was  equipped  for  a  great  career  at  the  bar.  Had  he 
remained  out  of  politics  and  devoted  his  life  to  his  chosen 
profession  there  can  be  no  doubt  he  would  have  achieved 
great  fame  as  a  lawyer  and  taken  a  foremost  rank  at  the 
American  bar. 

When  Mr.  HOAR  entered  Congress  he  was  43  years  of  age. 
He  had  already  acquired  from  the  practice  of  his  profession 
what  may  properly  be  regarded  as  a  competency  for  most 
attorneys.  He  contemplated  after  a  service  of  one  or  two 
terms  in  Congress  to  return  to  private  life  and  continue  the 
practice  of  law.  But,  like  nearly  all  Members  of  Congress, 
he  yielded  to  the  fascinating  influence  of  a  public  career. 
He  felt  the  broadening  influence  of  his  surroundings.  He 
was  in  touch  with  the  great  Republic,  and  felt  the  ceaseless 
throb  of  the  pulse  of  a  restless  and  ambitious  nation.  The 
ardent  patriotism  of  six  generations  of  American  ancestry 
was  in  his  veins.  His  law  books  were  closed,  but  the  his 
tory  of  his  country  was  open  to  him  as  never  before.  He 
reviewed  in  a  new  light  the  great  struggle  from  Plymouth 
to  Yorktown,  and  from  Yorktown  to  Appomattox,  and  that 
other  great  struggle  of  legislative  conflict  beginning  with  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  Articles  of  Confedera 
tion  down  to  the  amendments  to  the  Constitution  which 
worked  out  the  reconstruction  of  the  Republic  and  rendered 
its  future  secure. 


Address  of  Mr.  Poivers,  of  Massachusetts         187 

The  noted  success  of  his  Congressional  career  during  his 
first  two  terms  in  the  House  made  him  conscious  of  his 
capacity  and  power  in  this  new  field  of  activity,  and  he 
decided  to  yield  to  the  command  of  his  constituency  and 
devote  his  life  to  the  public  service.  For  thirty-five  years — 
a  fu41  generation — he  gave  the  best  that  was  in  him  to  the 
service  of  his  country.  During  that  long  period  no  important 
question  of  legislation  was  under  consideration  that  did  not 
receive  his  careful  thought  and  attention.  Upon  most  of 
them  is  to  be  seen  the  impress  of  his  keen  and  forceful 
intellect. 

//  No  man  of  his  time  had  a  more  comprehensive  knowledge 
of  American  history.  It  was  a  knowledge  always  at  his 
command.  But  few  men  have  lived  who  knew  the  literature 
of  the  world  better  than  he.  The  habits  of  the  scholar  never 
deserted  him.  His  library  to  him  was  peopled  with  the  great 
spirits  of  the  past.  He  loved  to  commune  with  the  l^est 
thoughts  of  all  ages.  He  made  a  careful  study  of  the  English 
language.  His  diction  was  pure  and  forceful.  In  the  later 
years  of  his  life  he  prepared  his  speeches  with  the  greatest 
care.  He  believed,  as  he  had  the  right  to,  that  they  were  to 
live  in  American  history./,' 

In  the  early  years  of  his  life  he  was  an  intense  partisan. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Free  Soil  party,  which  was  pledged 
to  a  great  reform.  But  with  advancing  years  he  ceased  to 
be  a  partisan.  He  was  fond  of  the  political  party  to  which 
he  1>elonged,  but  his  long  experience  had  taught  him  that 
even  a  political  party  may  not  always  be  right.  He  looked 
upon  political  parties  as  a  means  to  an  end.  Alx>ve  party 
and  party  creed  was  the  Republic.  Mr.  HOAR  took  exception 
to  several  of  the  policies  adopted  by  the  Republican  party, 
and  he  did  not  hesitate  to  criticise  and  even  denounce  his 


1 88  Life  and  Character  of  George  F,  Hoar 

own  party,  in  the  belief  that  it  was  his  duty  to  do  so.  He 
entertained  positive  views  concerning  the  acquisition  and  the 
government  of  the  Philippines.  He  was  opposed  to  any  policy 
which  did  not  provide  the  same  form  of  government  for  all 
people  living  under  the  American  flag.  The  wisdom  of  his 
views  upon  that  question  can  not  yet  be  determined.  No 
man  has  the  right  to  say  that  he  was  not  right  and  the 
majority  of  his  party  wrong.  A  generation  hence  that  ques 
tion  can  be  determined  with  exact  justice  to  all.  No  one 
questions  the  courage,  the  patriotism,  and  the  devotion  to 
duty  of  Mr.  HOAR.  He  reached  his  conclusions  after  careful 
study,  and  was  always  prepared  to  defend  them. 

Within  a  little  more  than  a  half  century  Massachusetts  has 
been  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  three  great  statesmen — 
Webster,  Sumner,  and  HOAR.  All  represented  her  in  the 
Congress  of  the  nation.  Each  achieved  his  greatness  in  the 
Senate  Chamber.  Each  in  his  time  was  the  idol  of  her 
people,  and  with  the  close  of  their  earthly  careers  deep  sorrow 
rested  upon  the  old  Commonwealth.  But  no  more  profound 
or  lasting  sorrow  ever  filled  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  my 
Commonwealth  than  did  the  announcement  of  the  death  of 
Mr.  HOAR.  He  was  the  friend  of  all  the  people ;  he  had 
served  all  with  equal  fidelity  and  devotion.  He  was  a  product 
of  Massachusetts  by  birth,  education,  and  citizenship.  Mas 
sachusetts  gave  this  son  to  the  Republic.  The  service  which 
he  rendered  must  hereafter  be  a  part  of  the  history  of  the 
nation. 


Address  of  Mr.  Keliher,  of  Massachusetts         189 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  KELIHER,  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr.  SPEAKER:  The  country  has  suffered  the  loss  of  a  great 
son  whose  useful,  brilliant,  and  exemplary  life  was,  in  the 
main,  devoted  to  the  upliftment  of  his  fellow-men  and  the 
elevation  of  the  civic  standards  of  his  State  and  nation. 
Massachusetts  mourns  the  loss  of  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR 
and  the  nation  shares  her  sorrow,  for  lx>th  will  miss  his  wise, 
sound,  and  patriotic  counsel. 

In  accordance  with  a  time-honored  custom,  we  consecrate 
these  few  hours  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Senator,  in  which 
we  may  pay  our  worded  tributes  to  the  distinguished  dead 
and  briefly  summarize  a  few  of  the  many  of  his  virtues  that 
earned  for  him  the  everlasting  love,  honor,  and  respect  of 
the  American  people. 

Upon  occasions  of  this  kind  the  eulogist  is  apt  to  stray 
beyond  the  confines  of  accurate  review  and  trespass  the 
tempting  fields  of  exaggeration  and  fulsomeness.  With  a 
subject  so  replete  with  interesting  and  historic  data  as  the 
life  of  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR  there  is  neither  necessity  nor 
excuse  for  leaving  the  straight  paths  of  impartially  chronicled 
history  of  the  State  he  so  brilliantly  represented  and  the 
nation  he  so  loyally  and  conscientiously  served. 

He  was  a  splendid  type  of  Massachusetts  citizenship — 
sturdy,  virile,  cultured,  liberal,  and  intensely  patriotic. 
Embodying  the  finest  traditions  of  the  country  he  so  ardently 
loved,  he  was  a  fine  example  of  the  old-school  American 
statesman,  fast  disappearing — more's  the  pity — to  whose 
nigged  honesty,  consistent  conservatism,  and  marked  ability 


1 90  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

the  present  generation  should  give  thanks  for  the  proud 
position  these  United  States  occupy  in  the  world  of  nations. 

Senator  HOAR  came  of  a  sturdy  stock  of  ancestors  that 
for  generations  back  contributed  liberally  to  the  fame  and 
glory  and  the  material  and  intellectual  wealth  of  Massachu 
setts  and  New  England.  They  were  always  a  public-spirited 
and  patriotic  people  who  were  ever  conspicuous  in  agitations 
and  uprisings,  moral  or  physical,  that  had  for  their  purpose 
the  protesting  against  an  abridgment  of  the  religious  freedom 
of  the  people  or  arresting  the  encroachment  of  governmental 
tyrannies. 

All  these  commendable  traits  GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR  inher 
ited  and  effectively  brought  into  play  during  his  active  and 
influential  service  to  his  State  and  country.  His  grandfather 
was  one  of  that  immortal  band  of  untrained,  undisciplined 
patriots  that  faced  the  British  regulars  on  the  memorable  April 
day  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  ago  and  fired  that  history- 
making  volley  the  echo  of  which  will  ever  sound  in  the  hearts 
of  the  American  people. 

The  spirit  that  rebels  against  injustice  impelled  armed  resist 
ance  by  his  grandfather  at  Concord  to  the  further  imposition 
of  unjust  taxation  by  the  despotic  and  doltish  George.  It 
incited  the  vigorous,  effective,  and  impressive  battle  main 
tained  by  Senator  HOAR  till  the  final  call  against  the  adoption 
by  his  party  of  a  policy  that  he  so  vigorously  denounced  as 
unrighteous  and  un-American. 

Like  his  fathers  before  him,  he  eagerly  took  up  the  cause 
of  the  lowly  and  oppressed  and  valiantly  prosecuted  the  fight 
for  liberty  of  the  struggling  Filipino,  parting  upon  this  great 
issue  with  the  party  he  so  ardently  loved  and  for  which  he 
had  so  untiringly  toiled  all  his  life.  /  A  strict  constitutionist, 
he  resisted  with  his  profound  reasoning,  matchless  oratory, 


Address  of  Mr.  Keliher,  of  Massachusetts         191 

and  indomitable  opposition  the  adoption  of  the  new  and  radical 
doctrine  of  the  Republican  party  that  established  a  republic 
in  Cuba  and  by  force  of  might  denied  one  to  the  Filipino, 
acquiring  sovereignty  over  the  Philippines  instead. // 

His  veneration  for  the  Constitution  and  unyielding  adher 
ence  to  a  strict  construction  of  its  provisions  weakened  his 
influence  in  the  Senate,  but  immeasurably  increased  the 
affection  the  people  bore  him.  The  attitude  of  Senator  HOAR 
ujx>n  the  Philippine  question  was  consistent  with  every  public 
act  of  his  life. 

In  the  earlier  days,  when  the  spirit  of  race  and  religious 
bigotry  was  rampant,  when  the  movement  to  proscribe  the 
alien  was  gaining  alarming  impetus,  GEORGE  FRISBIK  HOAR 
stood  up,  a  colossal  figure,  in  opposition.  For  this  Christian 
stand  taken  by  him  and  men  of  his  kind  a  tremendous  debt 
of  gratitude  is  owed  by  the  immigrants  of  fifty  years  ago, 
their  children  and  grandchildren. 

The  son  of  an  alien  myself,  I  recall  with  thankfulness  my 
father's  frequent  and  feeling  reference  to  the  liberality  and 
broadmindedness  of  Senator  HOAR  in  those  trying  times. 
Like  many  of  his  kind,  my  father  sought  these  friendly 
shores  whose  arms  were  said  to  be  extended  in  readiness  to 
grasp  in  friendly  embrace  those  who  sought  relief  from  the 
oppressions  and  tyrannies  of  monarchical  governments,  and 
whose  ambition  it  was  to  seize  the  opportunities  in  which  this 
country  so  richly  abounded. 

Forced  from  an  unfortunate  country  whose  history  is  one  of 
never-ending  wrong,  every  page  of  which  makes  the  heart  sick 
with  its  record  of  persecution  and  annihilation,  my  expatriated 
father,  with  hope  unlimited,  sought  refuge  in  this  country,  the 
Mecca  of  the  oppressed  of  the  world.  Imagine  his  surprise 
and  disappointment  to  soon  find  an  element  in  the  land  he 


192  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

had  dreamed  of  as  the  garden  of  liberty  shrieking  their  hatred 
of  the  foreign  born,  and  demanding  their  suppression,  deporta 
tion,  and  ofttimes  their  destruction. 

When  feeling  and  prejudice  ran  high,  with  no  fear  of 
political  or  social  effect,  Senator  HOAR  stood  up  in  opposi 
tion,  and  did  much  to  bring  the  American  people  to  a  reali 
zation  of  the  incongruous  position  they  had  taken.  When 
again,  in  my  day,  this  spirit  of  intolerance  and  narrowness 
was  revived;  when  men  high  in  the  councils  of  his  party  and 
influential  in  shaping  its  policies  covertly  connived  at  the 
unpatriotic  work  that  was  going  on,  or  cowardly  evaded  meet 
ing  the  reprehensible  issue,  Senator  HOAR  came  out  into  the 
open  and  denounced  it  as  vehemently  as  his  intense  nature 
would  permit.  His  denunciation  stirred  the  people  so 
thoroughly  that  the  unholy  movement  soon  died,  unwept, 
dishonored,  and  soon  forgotten. 

Senator  HOAR'S  masterly  attributes  were  a  blessed  inherit 
ance.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  that  he  was  scholarly,  for  his 
A  B  C's  were  taught  him  by  a  mother  who  inherited  rare 
intellectuality  which  she  instilled  and  imparted  to  her  son,  and 
in  his  rudimentary  studies  he  was  instructed  by  an  exception 
ally  talented  father. 

That  he  was  intensely  patriotic  was  due  not  only  to  the 
influence  of  heredity,  for  environment  contributed  as  well. 
Nursed  by  a  mother  whose  father,  Roger  Sherman,  was  a 
potent  factor  in  shaping  the  events  that  led  to  the  Revolu 
tionary  war,  and  rocked  upon  the  knee  of  a  father  whose 
father  stood  at  Concord  Bridge,  one  of  the  intrepid  few  that 
fired  the  shot  that  gave  impetus  to  the  war  that  resulted  in 
the  formation  of  this  great  nation,  he  could  not  be  otherwise 
than  patriotic. 


Address  of  Mr,  K't'/i/ier,  of  Massachusetts         193 

As  a  lad  he  romi>ed  upon  highways  and  byways  that  were 
rich  in  historical  traditions,  and  grew  into  manhood  in  an 
atmosphere  of  patriotism.  He  imbibed  freely  of  the  profound 
philosophy  from  the  pure  wells  that  were  plentiful  within  the 
confines  of  classic  Concord  from  the  time  he  arrived  at  the 
age  of  understanding.  The  effect  upon  young  HOAR  wou'd 
lend  credence  to  the  theory  that — 

Youth,  like  the  softened  wax,  with  ease  will  take 
The  images  that  first  impressions  make. 

Nature  gave  bountifully  when  endowing  Senator  HOAK. 
She  made  him  industrious,  and  he  applied  that  industry  to 
the  end  that  his  fellows  might  benefit  from  it ;  she  lavished 
upon  him  literary  attainments,  and  the  result  of  his  efforts  in 
those  fields  were  inspiring  and  instructive  ;  she  made  his 
nature  broad  and  liberal,  and  that  liberality  exercised  a 
potent  influence  in  enlarging  the  scope  of  civic  rights  and 
religious  freedom  of  the  harassed  and  circumscribed  ;  she 
blessed  him  with  rare  powers  of  statesmanship  that  were  all 
exerted  in  enhancing  the  honor  and  glory  of  his  country. 

Mr.  Speaker,  Massachusetts  has  filled  the  places  allotted  her 
in  yonder  Hall  by  the  nation,  where  in  bron/e  and  marble  the 
several  States  may  perpetuate  their  favorite  sons.  \Yere  there 
another  place  available  the  overwhelming  sentiment  of  the  peo 
ple  of  Massachusetts,  without  regard  to  race,  religion,  or  political 
party,  would  be  voiced  in  favor  of  the  selection  of  a  statue  of 
him  who  embodied  her  ideals  of  manliness,  patriotism,  liber 
ality,  learning,  and  statesmanship — GEORGE  FRISHIK  HOAR. 

Mr.    LOVERING.      Mr.    Speaker,    there    were    several    other 
Members  who  desired  to  speak,  but  who  have  been  unable  to 
be  present.      I  therefore  ask  unanimous  consent  that  permission 
be  given  to  those  who  desire  to  do  so  to  print  in  the  Record. 
S.  Doc.  201,  58-3 13 


194  Life  and  Character  of  George  F.  Hoar 

The  SPEAKER  pro  tempore.  Is  there  objection  to  the 
request  of  the  gentleman  from  Massachusetts?  [After  a 
pause.]  The  Chair  hears  none. 

Now,  in  pursuance  to  the  resolution  heretofore  adopted,  the 
House  stands  adjourned. 

Accordingly  (at  2  o'clock  and  37  minutes  p.  m.)  the  House 
adjourned. 

o 


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